DmC: Finding Paradiso
by BrittBailey
Summary: Months after Mundus' Defeat by Dante, Limbo City is gradually coming to peace. However, demons are still hiding in the Human World. While Dante believes he's doing justice by eliminating them, a new perspective of a Demon Mother and her Child come to him in an unpredictable way. Somehow, he didn't expect anything like these two beings to actually exist.
1. Red

DmC: Devil May Cry (c) CAPCOM and Ninja Theory

Fan Fiction and Fan Characters Gemma and Braith (c) BrittBailey

_Note: These are just Fan Characters; any insult or no true critique will not be tolerated. I'm a person who respects other FCs, no matter how perfect, balanced, or boring they appear. I will respect you; please respect me._

* * *

**Chapter 1: Red**

The metropolis was still corrupted in its causalities, yet in good faith, Limbo City gradually came to par in resurrection. Broken homes were remodeled and businesses were out of foreclosure. The city folk found peace from the demons by a lone savior. No one knew of the hero, but everyone knew Dante, the infamous terrorist of the Order, thanks to the formerly deceased Bob Barbas. No one knew of his deed and he was thankful for it. He was an unsung hero; even though, he remained cocky, he avoided attention. He walked the streets for any demons in hiding, waiting to prey on humans.

It was months after he fought the Demon Lord Mundus and his brother Vergil. It was a bittersweet ending, along with staying in little touch with his spiritually-inclined partner, Kat. She wanted to find a way to continue keeping humans free from demon power. She told Dante she would keep fighting for freedom and find his brother. Vergil was a threat waiting in the darkness ever since he left through the void. At the time, Dante just smiled at her and wished her good luck. He felt staying in Limbo City was more important; even though havoc crossed the world, he believed Vergil would come back again to the desolate city for revenge.

Now in present-day Autumn, Dante walked on the downtown streets, minding his thoughts while low-income business owners and families were rebuilding their beloved city. It was the groggy part of the district and he chose to hang around. It seemed that most demon sightings lingered heavily in the neighborhood. He thought of the humans here as poor bastards, knowing they were all blinded by the so-called Kyle Ryder's rule. The only thing he understood from the people was they immediately believed in demons because of their sudden outbreak.

Luckily for him, he found a trailer in mediocre condition at Bellevue Pier like his last home, although refurbishment was lacking. He suddenly passed by several homeless folk with grocery carts and plastic bags in their hands. They smelled of week-old garbage odor and damp socks. He held his nose and cringed at the scent. He pondered how most of the town persons were rebuilding while there were these people just sitting around, begging for money. He even thought of how high they might have been from abused substances. He frowned on them, thinking they could at least offer a hand. Beaten and frail, they were, but it didn't cross his mind on how they came to be that way.

A high-pitch cry was called out. Dante stopped and listened. The cry sounded like an infant's, but to think a child was in trouble in this side of town was beyond comprehension. He started to run, listening carefully for the holler coming from a dirty alley. It grew louder and louder and when he stopped, he saw a tall man kicking a woman in her head.

In a glance, there was a child in her arms, screaming. Dante observed the situation; maybe it was just a domestic violence like any other and would end with the woman fighting back. The women in this part of town weren't pushovers, as far as he knew. But the woman sat there, shielding her child with her arms and her back facing the man. Her long, black hair started to knot. Her legs were tucked under her and her horribly-torn, dirty trench coat was ripped by the trim. The child, no older than possibly three, continued to cry.

"It's okay Braith! He's go-oing away! Aah! AAAHH!" She let out a rash voice, feeling a stinging sensation in the back of her head. The man didn't stop, but laughed at the woman. His intimidation was headstrong and broad; it sickened Dante. Hitting a woman, as a man, wasn't much of an exception from Dante's experience, but an innocent human with a child was too far.

"Fuck you, you dirty slut!" The man hollered, "You and your spawn are useless! Why have you forsaken everything?!" He kicked her again and she fell forward from the impact. She winced in aching pain, but her strength to hold her daughter in her arms stayed confident.

"Hey!" Dante finally called out, "Don't you have a town to built instead of picking at the trash?!" The man, eyes were red and rugged, looked at Dante. He noticed the white hair and long black jacket Dante wore. He chuckled manically and placed his dirty boot on the woman's back. The man's face fell off, revealing a porcelain glass complexion and black ooze seeping from the cracks. Dante grinned; all day he was demon hunting and he finally found one.

"Dante..." The aggressive attacker hissed. He stomped his foot off the woman and commenced to sprint. Dante gritted his teeth and unsheathed his sword Rebellion. The Lesser Stygian pulled his saw blade back, but he was too slow to avoid Dante's strike. The Nephilim sliced the demon into pieces and his body burst. As easy as the fight was, Dante still prided himself with a smirk and placed his sword back into place.

"Too easy." Dante stated. The woman peered her head up and cautiously looked at Dante. His back was turned, but his white hair stood out. She coughed to clear her throat, which grabbed Dante's attention. When he made eye contact, her brown eyes were heavy and circled and her pale, sickly complexion was more convincing that she was a homeless woman. There was something off about this woman, Dante thought.

"Can you stand?" He asked. She didn't utter a word and stood to her feet slowly. Her head stung like a needle and she cringed. Her trench coat was musty at the torn ends and her denim jeans were scrapped. In her arms, her child, wearing a small grey hoodie over her head, was feeble.

"Thank you…" She managed to croak. Her gaze at her savior was stoic, yet warming. It was an assurance from him that made her feel better. She avoided his gaze to speak again.

"That man wanted to have his way when I asked him for money." She explained hesitantly, "I told him no…" Dante heard her and knew she was lying, but he couldn't stop staring at her eyes. Although they were brown, something about them weren't right. He focused his attention on them and suddenly it dawned on him. He pulled his pistol Ivory out and pointed it at the woman's forehead.

"What in the shitting hell are you doing here, demon?" He asked in command. Her gaze met his and the gun frightened her. She adjusted her arms around her child again and took a step back. The reason he held his gun at her now after saving her life surprised her.

"Demon?! I-I-" She couldn't start. But what he said was true; her eyes spoiled the surprise. It was her pupils; although everything else of her eyes looked normal, her pupils were triangle and brown, not round and black. She closed her eyes, thinking of the opportunities this man had in his hands now. Tears formed in her eyes.

"I asked you a question! Now I'm gonna ask you another! Is that kid even yours or is it your next meal?!" Dante held his finger tight on the trigger. The question suddenly angered the woman. She was insulted.

"Fuck you! This is MY DAUGHTER! How dare you say that, you prick!" She yelled, which caused the infant's hood to fall off her head. Dante was surprised to see the child, not because she looked human enough, but her bright red hair stood out. It almost seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't focus on why it did.

"Then what are you doing here?" He asked, still staring at her with doubt and no remorse. The gun still pointed at the woman's head, but then the child turned to look at the man. Her brown eyes matched her mother's. Dante then knew she wasn't lying this time, but still wanted answers.

"…I'm just trying to survive in this world…with my daughter!" The woman answered, scared and looked at Dante in the eyes again. She was shaking and she knotted her knees together to stop the jitters. Dante didn't want to take that as her official answer, so he took a step forward and pointed the gun at the infant.

"Do you know what I do to demons like you? I kill them." His statement caught the mother. She stared at Dante's eyes and then his hair and last at his attire. She knew who this man was.

"Please don't! You must be…Dante." She stated as her voice trailed. Dante frowned at her. His name wasn't best known by demons, just his image, but she seemed to comprehend better than most. Maybe she was a little different. Although her appearance was human, her eyes were too much of a giveaway.

"How do you know my name?" He asked, lowering his gun. The woman's eyes widened with surprise. Then she furrowed her brows and frowned.

"So it's true!" She exclaimed, "Dante! The Nephilim who destroyed Limbo! You owe us a home! This is all your fault!" Dante was astonished she accused him of such a demand, but stood his ground. He wasn't going to let this demon in woman flesh throw him off.

"Yeah the fuck right! What makes you think I'd help you out?! Fuckin' demon and her demon child! I don't owe you anything!" His words caught the infant's attention and she stared at the man with her doe eyes. Dante looked down at the little girl in the woman's arms. Her mother intervened with a statement.

"She's only a Halfling! She's half-human…" Her remark didn't seem to catch Dante. That red hair and brown eyes seemed all too familiar now for him. This pair of demons were, in fact, different. This mother stated she was just trying to survive and the child didn't appear to act evil or demonic. She was quiet and would stare at this man with no fear or threat. There was something about these two that he didn't like, considering they were demons, but they understood better than the other demons he encountered.

"…Why do I 'owe' you a home?" He asked while putting his pistol back in the holster. The woman eased and looked him in the eye. Eye contact was currently important to establish trust and honesty. She wasn't sure if he'd pull his gun out again and shot her.

"Because after you defeated Mundus, Limbo and the human world collided together. You should already know that. Now, I'm stuck living with these stupid demons, even humans, constantly assaulting us because we're what they call homeless! I didn't choose to live this life! Not for me or my daughter Braith!" Dante heard the little girl's name: Braith. It was a human name for sure; even though she was a Halfling, she wasn't referred by her demon name by her demon mother. He couldn't comprehend this demon, but she was kindhearted unlike other creatures. Dante stood silent staring at Braith, the red head little girl. He believed he didn't owe the woman anything, but to have a docile demon child like this one supposedly deserved some sort of salvation.

"What's your name then?" He asked, sliding his hands into his pockets. The woman cleared her throat and stood up straight.

"Gemma…my name is Gemma." She said and looked down at her daughter, "This is Braith…say hi, baby." Her daughter didn't speak, but risen her tiny hand to Dante and started to wave. Dante smirked at the child and looked up at Gemma. His gaze was serious to her than to Braith. Gemma took note.

"This isn't out of pity or the fact I feel I owe you anything." Dante walked up to Gemma, "But I'm not going to have a starving child dying be on my conscious. Come on." He then walked past her and out of the alley. He acted so casual now that it was unusual to Gemma. She swallowed the dry spell in her throat, picked up a large, ratty brown diaper bag over her shoulder, and slowly followed Dante.

"Do you…are you…"

"Don't ask; just follow." He said and turned onto the sidewalk. His strut looked normal, as though he wasn't bothered by a demon woman and Halfling child were following him. Gemma stared at Dante from behind, gazing mostly at his white hair. She didn't believe making him do as she commanded was easy like that. She didn't believe she'd meet this man. The man named Dante who she blamed destroyed her world. She didn't speak another word while keeping her distance from him.


	2. Home

**Chapter 2: Home  
**

The odor inside his home was trapped in her nose; the more she looked around the messy trailer, the more she could detect the pungent boy smell distinctively. It was such a small home. The bed was across from the living room while the kitchen was a small corner space and the bathroom was obvious. Her face twisted in disgust and looked at Dante. Casually, he entered the kitchen with his jacket thrown on the grungy couch and a beer in his hand. He popped the bottle cap off with the edge of the counter top and started chugging the beverage.

Gemma adjusted her hold on her daughter, holding her closer against her torso. She assumed homes were clean and pleasant unlike the streets and yet his trailer home was about the same outside. Although, she didn't consider the fact his home resided in Bellevue Pier, where the carnival attraction was destroyed months before Mundus' defeat. Gemma took a deep breath, trying to ignore the taste.

"This is your home?" Gemma asked, still appearing to be displeased. She slowly dropped her brown bag on the ground by the front door. Dante finished his beer, threw it in the trash, and looked at her. The tone in her voice acted skeptical and he didn't appreciate it.

"Yeah, what of it?" He answered back with a question, "You said you needed a place to stay, especially for your kid."

"Yes, but it's..." She looked at the trash-scattered floor, "Unpleasant." Dante frowned at her and stood up straight. For a demon to complain about his living condition wasn't her business.

"Do something about it or leave; that's your choice. I'm not changing myself for anyone." Dante stated and took another drink from the fridge. Gemma frowned and sighed. She remembered she begged him to stay here in his home hours earlier for Braith's sake. Her little girl didn't need another day on the streets for her personal satisfaction. She came to conclusion that at least she can clean this place up and it'd be better than sleeping by trash cans another night. She had no choice.

"Fine." Gemma said in defeat and put Braith down, "I don't expect any special treatment either."

"Keep your word and don't expect anything then." Dante turned his back and entered his petite bathroom across from the kitchen. The slam from the door made Gemma's eye twitch. It was a bit unnerving, but she figured her comments weren't making it easier to cope.

Looking at the mess around her feet and the home, she decided there needed to be a change in scenery for the sanity of everyone. A clean house may put a brighter, and more comfortable, setting she thought. Braith, her daughter as quiet as a mouse, wobbled back and forth from the edge of the couch, as though she was scanning the cushions for goodies. Gemma sighed and slipped off her trench coat. Underneath the dirty jacket, she donned a purple, long-sleeved shirt. The collar was low just below her collarbone and shoulders and so sketched in places, presumed to be where Braith had grabbed. Gemma walked over to Braith.

"What are you doing, baby?" She asked as she leaned next to her. The girl said nothing while gazing at her mother with her large brown eyes. To her, her daughter's behavior and attitude seemed natural, yet she knew this wasn't what normal human children acted like. It never bothered her before and Gemma just smiled knowing her daughter would never answer. Gemma stood up and started picking up the trash around the couch and on the living room floor. Every moment her arms filled with garbage, she walked to the trash can and emptied her collection. The trash can was filled to the rim, which bothered Gemma on how inefficient it took her to clean.

She managed to make the so-called living room decent and went to the trash can. She could tell it was originally white, but due to airborne grim, it obtained black filth and dirt all over. She sighed and grabbed the edges of the trash bag within the container. As soon as she pulled it out, Dante stepped out of the restroom. He met with her eyes, seeing she was going to take the trash out. He glanced around the house and saw the living room was picked up in the short time he was in there. Gemma stared back at him with a curious look. A word wasn't spoken as Dante broke the visual contact and went to back into the kitchen to drink again. Gemma tied the trash bag closed and picked it up. It wasn't heavy, but the smell was restrained now. She looked at the white-haired man again.

"Where's the big trash can outside?" She asked him. It sounded silly to her, but she really had no idea. Her mind wasn't on the surroundings when they came to his trailer.

"By the entrance, where we came in from." He answered. Surprised he didn't give her a smart remark, she nodded to him and headed to the front door.

Dante watched the woman walk out. The sweater entire she wore was scandalous and questioned why a demon like her would wear it. He glanced over to Braith in the living room. She saw her mother leave and then she looked at Dante. Her eyes were piercing, making Dante shutter at how this child was half-demon and so composed with herself and her environment. Dante tried to look away, but her appearance was so remarkable that it was almost hypnotizing. Her red hair and brown eyes reminded him of someone he barely remembered. Braith, the little girl he was staring at, looked like a tiny version of what his mother might have looked like. It was both appalling, but intriguing to him how this toddler and her mother ended up crossing paths with him.

A demon mother who's in tune with emotions than other demons and her Halfling child who happened to look like _his_ mother was a strange coincidence. It was too good, or bad, to be true. His trance broke the moment Gemma walked in. He looked up to see Gemma examining her hands in disgust. Gemma looked up at Dante, unexpected to see him staring at her. Her face turned pale pink and she walked to Braith. Dante chuckled lightly to himself. Gemma spoke to Dante while indirectly looking at him.

"Dante, is it alright if Braith and I shower?" She asked quickly and nervously. Dante shrugged with a grin, still thinking about Gemma's reaction just moments ago. He took a gulp of his beer.

"Go ahead." He replied before finishing his beverage and then searched for something in the cabinets of his kitchen. He pulled out a pre-opened trash bag from a shelf and aligned it in the trash can. When he looked at Gemma, he saw her walking to her travel bag, picking it up, and having Braith follow her. Soon before Dante drank the last of his beer bottle, Gemma and Braith were already in the bathroom.

"That was quick." Dante said to himself. He threw his bottle into the trash can and heard the bathtub faucet running water. The walls in his home were never really thick after all. Just moments after, he could hear Gemma and Braith giggling. That was a first for him; the two had been mainly either quiet or rude since he met them, at least for Gemma. But to hear the little girl laughing was a surprise. He couldn't help but grin.

* * *

After more binge-drinking, Dante finally felt his buzz. Being a Nephilim was nothing compared to being human. At least that was something the demon mother and him had in common. Being human was out of the question, especially considering Gemma was a demon in woman flesh. Finally, Braith and Gemma exited the bathroom. Braith was nodding off into slumber in Gemma's arms. Dante stared at Gemma, seeing her hair wasn't wet and her clothes were the same.

"I thought you were showering too." He stated, "You two were in there forever."

"Did you need to go?" She asked; Dante frowned, "No?"

"Then what's the problem?" She asked. Dante couldn't help but slap his forehead and rub his eyes.

"Never mind." He said and walked to his bedside. He started adjusting the sheets and pillows and looked back at Gemma when he was done, "You can sleep on the bed while you're here; there's two of you and the couch is more comfortable anyway." Gemma was taken back by the act of kindness, but instead of saying anything, she nodded and walked next to Dante. She placed Braith on the bed and tucked her in. The child's eyes closed and she fell into a deep slumber. Dante and Gemma looked at the child, seeing how calm Braith was. Gemma looked at Dante, which he saw in the corner of his eye.

"I wanted to shower after Braith fell asleep." She explained, appearing to have finally understood what Dante meant a moment ago, and walked off to the bathroom without another word. Dante, speechless, watched her leave and looked at Braith again. He never imagined a demon child to be sleeping in his bed, let alone be near him alive. Dante once again heard the water from the bathroom turn on and the shower head buzz. He hiccuped, feeling the booze cloud his mind slightly. His face started to get warm and his body started to feel exhausted. The binge of consuming so much alcohol in just a few hours even surprised him. He knew when he got home with these two, he was going to drink himself to sleep. It was already an exhausting day dealing with these two.

Dante walked to his kitchen and thought about grabbing his last beer. He had the sudden urge to wash his face and he looked at the bathroom door. He could have used the kitchen sink, but the cold water took a good minute; at least the bathroom sink was instantly cold. He started to think about what Gemma would be thinking if he walked in; she couldn't mind because she's a demon, but because of her womanly appeal, maybe she would. There was only one way to find out. There was the fact, also, this was his home; he was going to freely do what he wanted. No one was going to change that. He started walking to the bathroom door, grabbing the unlocked doorknob, and opening the door.

A fog of condensed heat and steam left the bathroom, making Dante's face even more irritable. A gasp was heard from behind the shower curtain. Through the fog, Dante could see Gemma's body outline, blurry, but defined enough to know there's a woman in the shower.

"What are you doing?" She hollered, "You're letting cold air in!" Dante couldn't help, but chuckle at her reply.

"Ha ha, are you serious?" He said while closing the door behind him, "I want to wash my face, so shut yours." He stood in front of the sink and turned the faucet on. As soon as the water flowed down the sink drain, a hiss was erupted from Gemma's throat. Dante laughed. The alcohol was making him feel more happy it seemed.

"You burning in there? I thought demons had tolerance to heat." He joked. Gemma groaned in annoyance. She wasn't amused by his current actions, but it didn't stop her from hurrying her bathing process. Dante turned the faucet off and wiped his face with one of the hanging towels on the rack. When he did, the shower water stopped. Curious, he looked up and saw Gemma had open the curtain. He wasn't surprised to see a woman nude in front of him, but her skin was much paler than he thought. Some parts of her body looked stretched such as her hips and thighs contained stretch marks and her gut slightly bulged from what he guessed was pregnancy fat unlike most women he's been with, but what really caught his eye was the long, disfigured scar just above her pubic line.

"What are you staring at?" Gemma asked, seemingly unshaped by his gaze. He met eye contact with her; he couldn't tell if his vision was suddenly becoming blurry from the foggy room or from the alcohol, but he stood up to look at her directly in the eyes.

"Nothing." He said and left without another word. He was serious all of a sudden. Gemma waited for the bathroom door to close before stepping out of the shower. She squeezed her hair to drain out the excessive water into the tub and grabbed a towel to cover herself. She didn't feel embarrassed that Dante walked in on her, but the fact he said 'nothing' to her and left. Was he upset to see a demon in woman flesh in the nude? Was he just so drunk, he forgot so suddenly? She tried to ignore the rational idea and changed into the other pair of clothes she had in her travel bag.

Wearing a black T-shirt and ripped shorts, Gemma exited the bathroom and saw Dante fast asleep on the couch. The lights were off in the trailer, but Gemma managed to maneuver to the bed where Braith slept and crawled in with her. Before she lied down, she sat up and directed her voice to Dante.

"Thank you again, Dante." She said and lied down, cuddling with Braith. In the faintest whisper, Dante mumbled good night. The rest of the night was silent; even though the traffic was loud outside, it was a first time that things seemed at peace.


	3. Search

**Chapter 3: Search**

The sound of flat-screen TV blurring on a static channel awoke Dante. He sat up on the couch and look over at the television. It was snowy and from a few feet away, Braith was staring at Dante with the TV remote in both her hands. She looked surprised, almost questioning on what to do. He grinned thinking she was confused and it was interesting to see a homeless child, a demon even, act strange. Immediately Braith waddled over to Dante and tried to hand him the remote with one hand. Her big brown eyes looked innocent and he couldn't help but smirk. It was...cute.

He took the remote from her and changed the channel to the local news. It wasn't the Raptor News like before but something more in-touch with humanity, which discussed acts of kindness from the city folk and such. It was boring. He tossed the remote to the end of the couch. When he did, Braith stared at the TV intently.

Reminding him of distractions, he wondered where Braith's mother was. From his observation, she wasn't lying in bed. The kitchen was vacant and the bathroom door was open. He furrowed his brows, thinking she might have just dumped her child with him without a word. It had upset him. Suddenly the front door opened and Gemma was seen carrying a bundle of newspapers in one arm. She looked content, but surprised when she looked out at Dante. He was relieved to see her, even though it scared him half to death.

"Where the hell did you go?" Dante glanced over at his alarm clock by the bed, "It's seven in the morning! Were you planning on ditching your spawn baby with me and just so happen to forget something?" Gemma frowned, insulted and glared at him. When the door slammed behind Gemma, Braith saw her mother and ran to hold her mother's leg.

"No! Why would I do that to my baby girl?!" She retorted, "I visited your neighbors for their classified sections." She explained by holding the papers out to him. He glanced at them and back at her. He thought it was weird that she decided to wake up and go off to get job ads, but leave her daughter with a complete stranger who happened to have taken down the strongest demon just a few months ago. He ruffled his white hair and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Are you fucking serious? You left your daughter here by herself."

"She was asleep when I left. Plus you're here." Her argument did have a point, but not valid enough. Dante huffed and stood up from the couch.

"You know what, never mind." He looked down at the papers and back at Gemma, "Why haven't you done this crap before you had even met me?"

"I have. The difference now though is I don't look too much like a slob...thanks to you." She sheepishly explained. Dante noticed she did look a little different. Her hair didn't look greasy anymore and a bit wavier from the shower last night and she wasn't wearing her ugly torn jacket. Instead with her jeans with holey knees and long-sleeved, off-the-shoulders, purple shirt made her look less homeless than before. Even her pale skin was clean and considerably smooth from Dante's perspective. He had to agree, but he didn't want to drag on the argument any longer. Slight aches were hitting his head, which might possibly be a minor hangover from last night.

"Will you come with me?" Gemma suddenly asked. Dante's eyes widened; he didn't think she'd need help or assistance since she left without a word, but it didn't feel like too much trouble to wonder town again. He had nothing planned besides demon hunting and maybe drinking again later tonight. He grinned at her.

"As long as you don't get in my way, sure."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Look, I'll follow you around while you job hunt, but I'm a demon killer. I go around looking for demons for the humans' sake." Gemma didn't say anything and stood quiet. She thought in silence because of yesterday how Dante and she happen to cross paths. Her eyes appeared depressed. In due time, she picked up Braith who hugged her mother around her neck. Dante slightly frowned.

"We'll head out after I get Braith ready then." She started heading to the bathroom with Braith, "Thank you..." She said before closing the door. Dante walked to the kitchen and got a glass of water. He started thinking of how 'human' this Gemma woman acted. She was so different and her daughter was even worse. She didn't cry but the one time yesterday and had been pleasant enough to be around; even though this morning's interruption was a downside, she seemed like a good little halfling child. In a way, Braith was like Dante; they weren't human, but they lived in a human world with unnatural powers. Dante took a drink of his water and put his gloves on that he left on the counter. Demon hunting might be easier today since demons fought in packs and with Gemma and Braith around, maybe they'd be attracted to them. At least he'd be there right away.

* * *

About thirty minutes had past and Dante had put his jacket on and leaned against the front door. He felt irritated, waiting and bored out of his mind. He stared at the TV when Gemma and Braith were in the restroom. He heard Braith speaking gibberish happily with Gemma giggling like last night. It was...nice to hear some sort of little-minded happiness in a demon-infested world. Even if they weren't human, it definitely had a nice ring to it. Gemma and Braith had exited the bathroom. Dante looked at them, seeing Braith wearing a tiny grey sweatshirt and pink skirt. She wasn't smiling, but displayed a serious face as usual. The girl was strange. Gemma smirked.

"I'm guessing you're ready to go?" Gemma condescendingly said while noticing Dante in his overcoat.

"Like forever." He answered and opened the front door. The sunlight was bright and made the air warm. Gemma could feel the heat enter the trailer home.

"Won't you be hot in that jacket?"

"I'm already hot, don't you see?" Dante replied with a smirk. Gemma, staring at Dante, returned the smirk. She seemed amused by his answer and headed for the door Dante held open.

"Thank you." She said with Braith staring back at Dante. Suddenly the girl jerked from her mom's arms and raised her own.

"What is it, baby?" Gemma asked kindly. Braith, gazing at Dante, was reaching for Dante as though she wanted him to hold her. Dante frowned in surprise.

"What's she doing?" He asked. Braith reaches out for Dante. Gemma smiled genuinely and held Braith out to him.

"She wants you to carry her, it seems." She mused. Dante frowned in disgust. He never held an infant before for leisure reasons, but knowing Braith as little as he did, he held his hands out to her. She wasn't a bad kid, as far as he knew.

"Give her here." He said in defeat. Braith grabbed onto Dante's shoulders and held onto him as his arms cushioned under her. She stared up at him while he looked down at her. Gemma just smiled and adjusted the diaper bag over her shoulder more appropriately.

"Alright." She said with Dante and Braith behind her. Gemma, seeing her daughter acting content with someone else, felt reassuring.

* * *

Gemma sat quietly with her hands on her lap and her back straight. She was nervous, staring at a petite, elder woman across from her. She was looking thoroughly at Gemma's signed job application with her eyes peering down contently. The woman then set the papers down and looked at Gemma. She didn't seem quaint to her here; if anything, Gemma didn't really want to be here too.

"You don't have a last name, I presume? I see you didn't write it on here." The woman said while glancing at the application again. Gemma's eyes widened; how she forgot to pick a 'last name' was beyond her. She quickly tried to remember names she saw and heard. Let's see: Ryder? No, that was Mundus's persona when he was alive. Smith? Johnson? Thomas? She looked out the window of the office to see Dante sitting on the bench with Braith. The poor guy was getting his nose and ears pulled by the curious toddler. It suddenly dawned on Gemma; she knew Dante by subtle image, but his lineage was beyond memorable by all demons. He was a son of Sparda.

"It's Sparda! Gemma Sparda." She replied confidently. The lady added her reply by writing on the application for Gemma.

"Okay, Ms.-" The lady stopped and remembered seeing Dante and Braith before the interview, "Mrs. Sparda, tell me about yourself." Gemma noticed her correction, but she didn't want to drag the subject on.

"Eh...well, I'm just a stay-at-home mom. Now." She giggled nervously, "I'm uh, 26, and I didn't attend college because I was studying abroad after...what do they call it...high school!" Gemma smiled, trying to use her cover story to sway the woman. Gemma knew if she revealed her true identity, panic would raise the roof. The elder frowned and raised a brow.

"I see. Thank you, Mrs. Sparda. We'll call you. Have a nice day." The interviewer said and spun away from the desk. Gemma frowned, stood up and walked out. A wave of disappointment came over Gemma as she met up with Dante and her girl in the lobby. Braith stopped pulling Dante's cheek when she saw her mother.

"Hey." Dante greeted, "How'd it go?" Dante held Braith's hands away from his face. Gemma shrugged and sighed.

"I think I did not do well. She said she'd call me. She didn't ask me anything else."

"How is she going to call you when you don't have a phone? I don't even have a phone." Gemma looked up at him. He looked genuinely curious rather than annoyed. She found it interesting and smiled.

"Your neighbor was kind enough to lend hers when needed." She explained, "She told me they needed a phone number in case they want to call me for the job again."

"Are you talking about that creepy old lady next door? She's always grumpy when she sees me." Dante remembered the lady; she was wrinkly and always slurred at Dante when he played his music loud at night.

"She was really kind to me though..." Gemma said and looked at Braith. She seemed content in Dante's arms as she played with his jacket collar.

"Where do you want to go now?" Dante asked. This place was the third business they visited and all seemed to respond the same to Gemma. As well as Gemma's luck, Dante hadn't encountered any demons yet. Carrying a spawn a bit longer might help though.

"I'm not sure; although I have all these listings, most of them want people with 'experience' in the field." Gemma stared at the papers. Dante smirked.

"Let's go eat or something then." He implied, "We've been out for hours already." Dante stood up with Braith in his arms and she pouted. Gemma stared at the two; they acted so calm and content with each other, Gemma worried. She hoped Braith didn't get attached to him, but it appeared the past hours changed that. Gemma just grinned.

"Yeah, let's go." Gemma and the two left the building and started down the sidewalk. It was slightly cooler than this morning, but something about the aura of this street reeked heavily. Gemma couldn't understand why this feeling came. Suddenly the door behind them propped open viciously.

"You're not going anywhere." Dante and Gemma turned to see the elderly lady from Gemma's interview stand there. Her eyes were black and her cheeks had dripped black ooze. Her veins were popping out and her hair turned to slime.

"She's a demon?!" Gemma shouted, "How did I—"

"Finally! It's about time one of you fucking demons showed up!" Dante handed Braith to Gemma and reached for his appeared sword, Rebellion, from his back, "I was starting to get itchy." The woman crackled wickedly and her skin shed off. Her body appeared porcelain and constructed of black ooze. She was a lesser Stygian and her arm blade appeared with a ripping sound of the skin.

"Son of Sparda!" She yelled, "Who knew you'd find a whore woman to take your name? You'll rot in hell!" From behind the Stygian, more Stygians transmuted from the building's walls and appeared before Dante and the girls. Gemma showed fright and held Braith tightly.

"You shut the fuck up!" Dante hollered and slashed at the Stygian. He heard the demon, but he didn't have time now to dwell on it. One by one, he struck them with a slash and hacked and shot the ones distant from them with his guns. One fell to the ground, but before it could stand up, Dante pulled it with his grappling hook and punched the creature in the face once it reached him. Gemma stared in awe; she didn't sense or see the demon in disguise during her interview; she couldn't believe she didn't see it. It surprised her more to see Dante, killer of Mundus, fight before her. He fought with style and ease, as though he was used to this.

"Don't fuck with me, you pricks!" Dante yelled and summoned Aquila to collect the demons towards him. Once they surrounded him, Dante created a Tornado with Aquila, sucking the demons into the whirlwind and gradually the demons split in bits and pieces with orbs falling out of them. The last Stygian suffered a dramatic blow through its limbs and it ended. Dante stopped his footing and looked around for more demons. There were no more. He relinquished his weapon and looked back at Gemma and Braith. The two stood behind the corner of the building they were in moments ago, looking around the edge to see if the fight had ended. They stepped out. They were demons and hiding from the fight, Dante thought, why would they? Can't they protect themselves? Maybe acting as humans for so long got to them.

"You two okay?" Dante asked and walked up to them. Gemma and Braith stepped out and gazed at him.

"I can't believe I didn't sense them." Gemma said in a low mutter, "Are you okay?" She asked, looking at him intently for bruises or cuts. He shrugged and dusted his hands together.

"That was just a warm up." He grinned, "I'm fine." Gemma smiled and looked at Braith. The little girl wanted Dante to carry her again. It was unbelievable that this infant wanted so much attention from him. Dante, without saying anything, took Braith from Gemma and looked at Braith's mother.

"So, you want pizza?" He asked. He asked so calmly as though he didn't just fight a few demons.

"Uh…sure?" Gemma looked puzzled. Dante walked past her with Braith and down the sidewalk. Braith started pullling at Dante's hair strands lightly. He didn't seem to mind since he had a different thought on his mind.

"Good." He said, "I got questions for you that need answers." With that said, Dante didn't a say word more while Gemma followed, curious to what he meant.

* * *

_**Author's Note**_: Hmm…the fight scene could have been cooler. Sorry. Thanks for reading and reviews so far! I hope you stay tuned!


	4. Difference

**Chapter 4: Difference  
**

The restaurant was musty, but the decorations and structure seemed stable. The only problems with this pizza place were its shattered windows and a few broken chairs. The tan paint on the walls had a faint glow and the trimmings had grapes and vines for design. It felt foreign and dirty at the same time. The destruction from Mundus' terror impacted the city as a whole, but it was unbelievable that some architecture, such as this one, was still adequate. This part of town surprisingly was more active than where they were after Gemma's job interview.

"You're not going to eat?" Dante asked as he held a slice of pizza in his hands. Across from him, Gemma stared at the pie with her hands on her lap. Next to her was Braith who contently ate the food in tiny bites. Gemma looked up at Dante.

"You said you had questions for me." She started, "What are they?" Dante bit into his food and chewed; he stared out the window and at the bar counter where a few workers stood, chatting among themselves. He then looked at her.

"That demon said you took my name. What did that mean?" He asked. His voice secreted seriousness.

"For the interview, I used…your reputation name: Son of Sparda." She continued, "I said my name was Gemma Sparda. She told me I didn't have a last name written on my application." She avoided his stare by looking at her food. He frowned.

"Why didn't you?"

"I never needed one. At least, when I started living as a human, it never occurred to me. I've only lived as a human for two years before you…killed Mundus." She picked up her pie slice and instead of eating, she started to pick off the pepperoni and tossed them on her plate. Her statement made Dante think more; this female demon had so many secrets and he wanted to know all of them. As far as he knew, she was a demon living in disguise as a human with her hybrid child. This new information made Dante want to ask more.

"Why did you start pretending to be human? What kind of demon are you? Did you work for that bastard Mundus then?" He asked and took another bite from his pizza. The questions paused Gemma. She didn't expect him to ask so much or want to know more of her. He was just her temporary shelter until she obtained a job. But guessing from the attachment Braith made with Dante, she couldn't abandon her daughter's wishes. She put her pepperoni-free pizza down onto her plate and looked at Dante. He was staring at her with his pizza cheese stringing down from the crust.

"No, I didn't 'work' for that so-called demon king. I'm a Stygian under this skin, an elite fighter in the circle's rank. Although, it may be hard to believe, it was easy to wear this disguise." She added, "…I became human for personal reasons. I don't want to talk about it." She looked at Braith, still nibbling on her pizza, and then out the window. A few people walked by, cheerfully talking about the restoration of the neighborhood and nonsense.

Dante was searching Gemma's face for hidden answers in her reaction. She was a Stygian, just like the demons from earlier. That might explain the stretch marks on her hips and thighs from last night, but she had a cesarean scar under her belly. From what he remembered, Lilith's child spawned in enormous amounts of flesh from her back. Yet Gemma's skin looked clean and smooth compared to that wench. All of it did except that disfigured scar on her body.

"You became human for personal reasons, heh?" Dante said, "The 'dying demon plague' I started was too much for you or what?" He joked and finished his slice of pizza. Gemma looked at him and he had a smirk on his face. She returned the smirk and shook her head.

"No, it wasn't that." She replied, "It just felt like…hell." She muttered and rested her elbow on the table. Her hand found her cheek and she cradled her face in her palm. Dante continued staring at her; her pale skin had glimmer a tinge of purple, but highlighted her cheekbones. She looked young, but the bags under her eyes told a different story. He was curious again.

"How old are you, Gemma?"

"What?" She looked at him in surprise. It was such a straightforward question; it caught her off-guard.

"You heard me. What color panties are you wearing?"

"That's not what you said!" He laughed and grabbed another slice from the pizza platter. She frowned first, but smiled at him.

"I asked how old you are." He said, "Like, are you 100 years old or something?"

"I'm 26." She replied, casual about her answer. Dante tilted his head in shock and made a face. She didn't smile or frown, but stared at him.

"No fucking way." He said, "I'm 23. How are you only a few years older than me? Aren't demons supposed to be older than the hills?"

"I'm 26 if you convert my 'demon age' into human years." She answered, "Demons generally don't age, Dante. I'm sure you've seen them all; they all don't have wrinkles unless they were made that way. Plus, demons don't go by 'human' time;' Limbo was scheduled by circles. There's really no such thing as 'time' there."

"Circles? What does that mean?" His curiosity made Gemma feel annoyed, but it was interesting to see him so enticed by her heritage.

"Uh…well, time technically stands still in Limbo, right? Time is actually there; it's just very slow. I supposed the circle might be…about a century long? I don't know. For example, I have lived through about 3 circles of Limbo, so I'm…?" She waved her hand at him for his answer. He gave her a dumbfound look. Braith gave her mother a content disposition, looking as though she wanted to know what they were talking about.

"I have no idea." He answered. She sighed and covered her face with her palm.

"I'd be about 300 years old, give or take." She gave him a smile, "I'm sorry, I'm not good at explaining these things. They were hardly relevant to remember for me." He smiled back at her and glanced at Braith.

"So how old is Braith then?"

"She's two." Gemma replied quickly. Dante gave her another curious look.

"Two? Like 200 hundred years old?" Gemma giggled.

"No. She's two. She wasn't born in Limbo..." Gemma's voice fainted at the end of her sentence. She didn't look like she wanted to talk more of it. Dante saw this and showed a light smile.

"Heh, should I call you an old lady then? Hell, even if I went by your 'human' age, you're still older than me." He chuckled and took a few bites of his pie. She lightly giggled and looked down at her daughter. The little girl got pizza sauce all over her cheeks, but she had finished her food. Gemma took a napkin and wiped the stains off. Braith winced, but stood still long enough for her mother to clean her up. Dante watched with gratify at the two.

"So what do you want to do now?" He asked, "You still haven't eaten any of this pizza." He looked at her plate, still occupied by a torn cheese pizza she picked at moments ago. She shook her head. Her appetite wasn't present it seemed and she gave the slice to Braith who gladly took it.

"If Braith eats, I'm full too." She replied and gave her daughter a genuine smile.

"That's the cheesiest thing I have ever heard." He said, realizing he just made a pun joke. He chuckled, which was followed by Gemma's giggle. She had an interesting giggle; it stuttered, but it was feminine and light compared to her speaking voice. Living the human life must have caught onto her without her knowing.

Dante saw Braith scarf her pizza thoroughly and clapped her hands. She looked at the adults for support; she wanted to be praised. Gemma smiled and picked up her daughter and kissed her cheek.

"Good girl!" Gemma smiled. Braith hugged her neck and looked at Dante. Immediately they all knew what that meant and before they stood up from the table, Braith was in Dante's arms once more. Gemma grabbed her papers from the booth and bundled them in her arm. She looked at Dante and Braith. It seemed he was a natural now at carrying her.

"So where are we going now?" Gemma asked.

"I asked you that. Twice." He irritably said, "Did you still want to job hunt or go walk around town?" Gemma crossed her arms and stared at the floor. Job hunting was the reason they were out and about, but after that fight, she wasn't sure. She just wanted to spend time with her daughter if she could get her away from Dante.

"I actually want to go home." She murmured, "I don't want to do anything more, really." Dante caught her response. She was the one who aspired to find a job, but to suggest going 'home' was unusual. Although, this was the same woman who demanded to live with him too. Dante adjusted Braith in his arms.

"Really? You don't want to go have fun?"

"Fun? I'm not in the mood to do so." Dante frowned. He felt insulted she refused to do something exciting or entertaining. She just wanted to go home she said. Maybe being a mother made her this way. He didn't say more, but he smiled at Gemma and wrapped an arm over her shoulder. The sudden gesture confused Gemma, as she looked at his arm and then up at him.

"You know what?" He grinned, "You need to have fun. I'm taking you out tonight." Gemma furrowed her brows.

"What?! Why?! I said I want to go home." She reminded him, "Who will watch Braith if you and I 'go out' then? I don't know anyone." Dante thought for a moment, thinking of people who could take care of the little demon. He thought of Kat, but she wasn't in town as far as he knew. He really didn't know of anyone either, but retracing his steps since this morning, there was at least someone kind to _Gemma_. He smiled slyly.

"Don't worry about it. We can head home; I got everything covered." His voice curled the words he said as they left the pizza place. Gemma, still constrained by Dante's arm, kept glancing at the ground, at Braith, and to Dante. She wasn't sure whether she should decline harder or succumb to Dante's plans. She kept her mouth shut as they walked back to Bellevue Pier.

* * *

Gemma and Braith arrived at Dante's trailer. They sat on the couch together while stacking the aluminum cans on the coffee table. It seemed to be Braith's favorite playtime activity and as much as Gemma wanted to recycle the cans, she couldn't; her daughter's contentment was enough to suppress her feelings. Dante didn't enter the home like they did; last Gemma heard Dante say he was going to run an errand for a second and be right back. It was already about twenty minutes when he said that. Gemma thought of turning the television on, but went against it. She didn't understand society's chosen media. Suddenly the front door opened with a grinning Dante.

"What are you smiling about?" She asked, a sting of irritation left her throat. Dante shut the door behind him.

"I found a demon to watch your little demon." He joyfully said and looked at Braith. She stared at Dante while holding a can in her hands. Gemma, on the other hand, looked disgusted.

"Another demon?!" She asked, "What the hell?"

"I'm talking about that bag of wrinkles next door; she said she'd watch Braith for the night until tomorrow morning." Dante explained. Gemma wasn't amused by the name calling. It was odd to hear humans call each other names, either to their face or behind their backs. Gemma stood up, but Dante stopped her from walking by placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Nah-uh, I'm taking her over there; you're going to make yourself pretty or at least look nice." He clicked his tongue against his cheek, making a clicking sound. Before Gemma could speak, Braith went to Dante and looked at her mother. Gemma looked back at her daughter and smiled at how calm she acted. Maybe her no-older-than-two-year-old-daughter was telling her something.

"Bye Mom!" Dante waved at Gemma with Braith repeating his action. Gemma watched Dante pick up her diaper bag and leave the trailer before Gemma could move. She stood there awkward and confused; her knees buckled and her hand found her other arm's elbow. She couldn't believe she was being forced to go somewhere and especially without her daughter. Her daughter had never left her side for no more than a few hours for simple reasons before. She started to wonder what her and Dante were going to do and possibly _where_ they were going. She decided she couldn't change the outcome now and left for the bathroom.

* * *

_**Author's**** Note:**_ If you haven't noticed already, the woman with black hair in the cover art is Gemma. If you want to see the actual image of Gemma and Braith, visit my DeviantART profile page! My username there is also BrittBailey. If it's easier too, just search on DeviantART, "dmc oc gemma." If anything, she should pop up fast since there's not a lot of DmC Reboot Fan Characters. Thanks for reading so far!


	5. Close

**Chapter 5: Close**

She couldn't believe she was doing this. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. She found a rubber band a few days ago before finding shelter with Dante; her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her bangs hung over her forehead. She hated it; it gave her strain to her head and it didn't feel normal. Living as a homeless human was content enough for her, but to attend a night out with someone she met yesterday was overwhelming. A knock came to the bathroom door.

"What are you doing in there?" It was Dante, sounding impatient. Gemma quickly splashed water on her skin and opened the door. Dante was standing there, hands in his pants' pockets and a monotone stare. His expression changed when he saw her hair pulled back.

"Hey, you put your hair back. It looks nice." Gemma glanced away and back into his eyes. She wasn't sure how to respond. She looked at him and he grinned, "Let's go if you're ready."

He walked away and headed to the door. Gemma was surprised; as impatient as he acted, he was prepared to leave. She walked over to him, staring at the back of his head. Suddenly, she thought of her little girl Braith. Her little girl was staying over for the night at a stranger's house and she felt uncomfortable with the situation. She wanted to go get her and stay here. She looked at Dante who was staring back at her. She contained her thoughts, not wanting to talk about Braith or the neighbor.

"What?" He asked; she shook her head and smiled.

"It's nothing." She replied while tucking a hair strand behind her ear, "Where are we going then?" Her curiosity was blunt; he still hadn't told her where they were off to. Dante grinned and opened the front door.

"You'll see. Let's just say it's been awhile since _I_ went out for fun too." He said and grabbed her hand and exit through the door, leaving the trailer home to have a lonely night.

* * *

The place was raging with excitement and color. The music was loud and the crowds of dancers were in trance by the dub. The strobe lights were bright and colorful; most of the lights flickered to the beat of the music while the people wore neon necklaces and bracelets. Gemma stared in awe as Dante stood behind her. The people around them crowded them and showed no respect as they passed by. She was nervous; the hordes of people on the dance floor and at the bar amazed her. She felt Dante grab her hand like before. She figured he did so to avoid separation. She looked back at Dante who was grinning.

"So what do you want to?!" Dante yelled through the sound wave. Gemma arched her brows, confused at what he said. She looked around and saw drinks served at the bar counter. She tilted her head back for Dante to hear well.

"I want a drink! I'm getting thirsty!" She yelled at him, hoping he understood. He replied to her with a sly smile. Without saying a word, he pulled her by the hand through the people and to the bar in the middle of the room. They arrived at the counter between couples, seeing the numerous amounts of alcoholic bottles on the shelves. The light that brightened the bar was hot pink and green; although the lighting behind them was striving, the bar was bright enough to illuminate the particular area of the large room. Gemma looked for the bartender who stood at the other end of the bar. He was smiling and sliding drinks to a couple of ladies, occupied by their promiscuous behavior. Gemma leaned over the counter to stretch her voice out to the bartender.

"Excuse me?! Excuse me!" Gemma waved her arm but he heeded no attention. Dante saw Gemma's digression and whistled to the barkeep for it. The high pitch ring caught his view.

"Hey! I need a drink for my lady friend!" He waved at the dude in a propped manner and the bartender looked at Dante and then grinned at Gemma. She looked up at Dante. It must have been the way Dante's choice of words and actions help achieve their chosen activity. Although she didn't understand their interaction, she was tempted to learn.

"Is it normal for humans-I mean, guys to do that?" She asked, hoping people around her ignored her verbal mistake. It would have been strange and awkward for others to question her phrase. Dante smirked at the pale woman.

"It's just the night life scheme; you'll get used to it!" Dante yelled, but the sound of the beating music muffled his words. Gemma thought of what he said; to get used to this liveliness didn't fit Gemma's choice of lifestyle. Suddenly a shot glass appeared before Gemma.

She stared down at it, seeing the liquor sit still in the hourglass-shaped drink. It was golden and fizzy; she wasn't sure if that was normal and held the shot glass with her shaky hand. She looked up at Dante who stood next to her and had signal the bar keep with a wave of two fingers. She watched the bartender reach under the counter and pull out two bottles of beer. He slid them to Dante who gladly opened one and started to chug it down. Gemma stared in awe; she couldn't fathom the sociology of this nature. She looked at her drink again, but was stopped by her companion.

"You got to swallow it all or else you'll need a chaser!" He smiled.

"A chaser? What's that?!" She asked, yet suddenly her ponytail was pulled down, tilting her head back.

Before she could gasp, she saw her double shot glass being carried to her lips. She shuttered and glanced at the hand holding the drink; frankly it was Dante's unmistakable gloved hand. She couldn't stop the drink from coming and instead parted her lips. Once the edge of the drink touched her skin, she swallowed the double shot. The sting and burn of the alcohol rushed down her throat and it was over before she knew she finished it. She exhaled heavily and looked at Dante. He was laughing as he put the glass down.

"Did you like it?!" He asked, still yelling over the sound of the trance music. Her eyes watered as she stared at Dante. The alcohol was rushing through her body; she never felt this way before. The consumption of liquor hit her immediately, causing her thinking to fuzz and hurt. Her tolerance to the beverage lacked and she rubbed her eyes.

"It's rushing to my head!" She replied. She peered through her fingers at Dante to see he finished the second bottle of beer he obtained. He exhaled and looked down at the black-haired woman.

"Dance with me." He yelled awkwardly calmly and his hand reached for one of hers. She frowned and looked at the crowd, seeing how provocative they swayed to the music. She shook her burning head, but he frankly didn't take that as her answer. Instead, he pulled her out from the bar counter and towards the dance floor. She wasn't accustomed to this ritual; being forced into a crowd of ecstatic dancers. Dante pulled her close to him and leaned his head over her shoulder.

"What? Don't you know how to dance?!" He asked in her ear. She shook her head again, expressing a frightened appearance. She wanted to go home or at least into a quiet place. The music and people were too much. The alcohol she consumed made her feel dizzy. She looked up at the stage lights, seeing the rainbow of colors flash her into a trance. It suddenly began to feel comfortable to her. She blamed the alcohol.

Dante's hands found her hips, surprising her in the process. She looked up at him; his face was red and his sly grin was impeccable. Out of all the commotion and humans she dealt with, Dante's presence made her worries pass; although, he was the trouble who forced her to come here and drink the shot, she was glad he didn't leave her to fend for herself.

"Here, sway your hips to the beat." He instructed, more calmly than forceful. She shook nervously, but did as told. Her hands found his shoulders for balance and abruptly she found herself lost in the music. It came so easily to her now, with the liquor flowing through her body. She felt loose and energetic, awfully feeling happy with this newfound freedom.

"Yeah! That's it! You got it!" He chuckled and he tried to keep her close from swaying and bouncing far from him. She gazed up at him and smiled; she couldn't believe she was having fun. Fun she never experienced since she became human. Her worries of living a content life and all the concerns she carried fell apart as she swayed in Dante's hands. She started to giggle and her hands streamed to his neck.

The stranger in front of her had treated her and her daughter as a friend since they met and this new found friend seemed to be her comfort from both peace and chaos. She wasn't going to let the feeling die. It was either the ecstasy, the energy of the sound and crowd around her or the happiness she finally felt that led her to dance.

* * *

The morning's sun had yet to come; it was hours away from sunshine as the two companions sat together in the underground subway. It was humid and dusty, but luckily thanks to the hardworking folks, the subway at least ran in decent condition. They left after an hour from midnight, believing their energy would drain quickly once they reached home.

Dante leaned against Gemma, his shoulder pressed hard towards hers. The amount of alcohol he consumed made him lazy; Gemma, on the other hand, was feeling less hot and fuzzy compared to earlier. Her head didn't sting, but her body ached and her muscles were exhausted from the excessive energy she let out. She yawned and looked at her tired dance partner. He stared off into the empty space of the subway's window; his eyes were glazed.

"Dante?" She slowly reached for her pants' pocket, "Are you awake?" His attention shot at her quickly. She hoped he didn't react so suddenly, but she didn't stop reaching and shuffling her fingers in her pocket.

"Yeah, why?" He asked, slightly slurred in speech, "Got something on your mind?" She shrugged in thinking he'd understand her body language in the awkward sitting position they were in. He looked back at the empty space he had lazily appreciated earlier. In her fingers, Gemma pulled out a lighter and a single, bent cigarette from her pocket. She cautiously shifted her body to avoid interrupting Dante's consciousness and lit the cigarette. The smoke lifted, yet Dante saw and looked at her. He frowned.

"You smoke?! When did you start?" He asked, expressing a bit of disappointment and surprise in his tone. Gemma inhaled the cigarette's chemicals, sucked the smoke deep through her throat, and exhaled calmly. She stared at the burning ashes of the cigarette's tip.

"I actually started before I was human. Cigarettes were different in Limbo." She explained with another inhale, "I don't buy them; I find them all the time around the city. I just don't try to smoke around Braith." She looked down at Dante, seeing his white hair swayed over her shoulder. He frankly slumped from his seat, lying on the curve of the subway's bench with the middle of his back and his head against Gemma's arm. He seemed non-response, possibly passing out from the exhaustion and comfort by her.

Gemma inhaled her cigarette deeply again and stared at her hands. They were sweaty and warm; although, they stopped dancing just before they came on the subway; her soberness came to her beforehand. She noticed a few more things about her hands and wrists. She pulled up her sleeves to look at her arms. Something wasn't right. Either it was the dancing or alcohol affecting her, but her skin was damp and very wrinkly. This wasn't a normal situation for her; it's been a long time as well since she had her skin repaired. She looked at Dante and then her arms, thinking she'll do what she had to do first. She was going to take Dante home and then she had to do what needed to be done. She inhaled her cigarette for a prolong moment before flicking the cigarette butt to the floor and stomping on it.


	6. Bonding

**Chapter 6: Bonding**

Dante awoke to the television volume, hearing the blaring theme song of a news channel playing. Instead of feeling shocked, he sat up looking around for a tiny toddler holding the remote. He was right. Dante saw Braith sitting on the bed with the remote in her hands; she was staring back at him with big doe eyes. It was just like the other day; the little one got hold of something she shouldn't have and Dante was there to compensate as a father figure. He stood up and cracked his neck on his way to carry Braith. Instantly she shot her hands up to him, knowing what he was going to do. He grinned and picked up the tiny red head.

"Morning, you little shit." He joked with her grabbing his nose, "Gah, damn it!" He looked around for Gemma; it was quiet and there was no sign of her anywhere. He shrugged the thought off, thinking she left to achieve her minor goal such as job hunting and picked up Braith before she left. He thought she'd be back soon to care for Braith, so in time, he'd entertain Braith like he had yesterday afternoon during their adventure.

He carried Braith to the kitchen. He saw her diaper bag sitting on the counter. All the zippers were shut and Braith's bottle, newly cleaned it seemed, stood next to it. Dante grabbed it and turned the sink faucet on with his fingers. He looked at Braith and she was staring at the bottle. Once the water ran a few seconds, Dante dipped the bottle under the running water and filled it. Braith grabbed for the bottle once Dante screwed the nipple on and brought it close to them.

"You thirsty?" He asked rhetorically, "I don't know if your mom gives you water, but I don't have milk for you." Braith looked at him with the bottle in her mouth. The bottom of the container hit Dante's chin, which he held after she did.

"Hey!" He smirked at her and carried her to the couch. He sat her down and sat next to her. She continued to drink her water as Dante cleared off the coffee table of aluminum cans. He didn't think about them yesterday, considering they were out all day and night. He picked the cans up and walked to the trash. The can was empty with a bag; probably Gemma's doing before she left or from last night. Braith drank the bottle harshly, emitting gulping sounds from her throat. Dante looked at her in disgust and in return, she gave him a casual stare. Dante, fighting to frown, smiled awkwardly.

"You stay there." He told her, "I'll be _right_ back." He then headed into the bathroom. He shut the door behind him and glanced at his reflection. He was red and had bags under his eyes; the hangover he thought he would have from last night should have affected him when he awoke. He felt fair though, and his back wasn't strained and his mind wasn't aching.

He then started thinking about last night. It was the most fun he had in a long time. Since Mundus died, he found himself too busy with demon slaying and drinking at home alone at night. He got to take Gemma, a hesitant, serious mom, a woman in fact, out for the night and loosen up. To believe a demon like Gemma existed, so innocent and sincere, hid on the streets like a human and lived like one with a half-demon, half-human child.

The last thing he remembered was seeing her pale, pink lips inhale the cigarette she carried and her warm shoulder as a pillow. He then thought did they do anything? He meant, like did _they do anything_? He didn't remember anything after the subway train ride home, but he felt he should have. Is that why she's gone longer today than yesterday? He frowned and turned the faucet on. He washed his face, letting the cool water rejuvenate his alertness. He looked at himself again, yet rather than seeing him, he saw a vision of Gemma. Although she was pale bluish-white and looked tired for the most part, she wasn't homely-looking. Her long black hair laid elegantly against her back and she had deep brown eyes that mesmerized anyone who stared into them. She was pretty; she had a patient and kind aura around her. She wasn't necessarily intelligent, yet she was observant and enthusiastic.

She sort of reminded him of Kat, his former spiritual guide through Limbo. Both of them were quiet and meaningful; even though Kat was all for freedom for humans, Gemma just wanted to be human. She was a demon who wanted to be human? She was strange. Suddenly a loud clash echoed from outside the bathroom.

Surprised, Dante rushed out of the room and saw Braith standing on the coffee table. Her bottle rolled to a stop on the floor and dripped water onto the carpet. Dante slapped his palm onto his face, fathomed by what possibly happened. He soon walked to Braith, hoisted her off the table, and reached for the bottle. He gave it back to her and waved his finger at her in a commanding manner.

"That's bad! No Braith!" He looked her in the eye. She stared back at him.

"No no no no no." Braith blurred the word over and over again and began drinking her bottle. Dante shook his head and grinned.

"You are so weird like your mother." He commented. Braith giggled, as though she knew what he was talking about. It's almost noon, Dante noticed; Gemma should have been home by now. Maybe she couldn't handle last night and went out for a calm day to herself? Dante started to worry.

Instantly, the front door swung open, alerting Dante and the little girl. He held Braith close to his chest and stood up to his feet. From Dante's view, something reached out from outside and grasped the door frame harshly. It appeared to be a hand, but something about it was disfigured. The fingers looked peeled and the nails were elongated into claws. Dante frowned and had his eyes squint.

"Who's there?!" He called out, holding Braith tightly. The child showed no fear and instead recognition to the creature outside the door. Heavy breathes were heard; raspy and dry, they grew louder.

The appearance of the being shocked Dante. He didn't expect this.

It was Gemma. Her arm, that reached the door, grew grotesque. It was covered, from the shoulder, shredded flesh lingering off around black slime-like skin. Her eyes were still familiar, yet her half of her scalp was bald and black ooze dripped from her eyes' crevices. They looked like black tears sliding down her cheeks.

Dante was lost for words and only heard Gemma reply in a scorched tone, "Dante...please...help me...I need to kill..."

* * *

**_Author's Note: I like to take this moment for all the faves, follows, and especially the "reviews" I received on this story. Lol I'm glad to read that people want Gemma and Dante to "get it on", but after seeing Gemma in this imagery, could you really get turned on? XD lol find out more in the future chapters!_**


	7. Discovery

**Chapter 7: Discovery  
**

Dante parted his lips, but couldn't express his thoughts into words. Gemma stood steps from Dante, holding her arm as though it was limp. This appearance of hers shocked the man; she appeared before him as a demon peeling out of moist flesh It was too real. In a selfish way, Dante hoped he'd never see her like this. He didn't think he'd see this woman breaking in-between transitions.

Suddenly her words caught up to him. She said she needed to kill. Is she implying what he thought she meant yesterday? She's a demon in human flesh. Dante, still holding Braith, glared skeptically.

"What do you mean... you need to kill?" His tone uttered seriousness. He urged for comprehension. Gemma gripped her dripping arm and glanced between Braith and Dante. The black tears from her cheeks fell to the floor.

"...I need...to kill a woman, Dante." She sighed in exhaustion, "I need a woman's... flesh. Don't you see, Dante!?" Gemma's voice shuddered. She held out her hand, showing the clump of black slime to him. He was a demon slayer and she was begging him to do such an ominous task. Dante stared at her long and hard before clearing his throat. He stared at her with cold eyes. For her to ask, he couldn't awe at the fact. Her face looked degradable; the skin was peeling and strong with blood rushing veins. Her brown eyes, though, grew docile and innocent. She was begging for an answer. Dante huffed.

"No." He finally replied with a frown, "I'm the protector of these humans, not a murderer of them." She, instead, didn't rage, but her eyes grew watery. She didn't see it like that; she thought of it as generosity from their kind. She held her cheeks with her hands. She looked over at her daughter who remained still in Dante's arms. Her expression was of concern. Gemma looked up at Dante, trying to surpass his aggression.

"Dante, if I don't find another skin soon, I'll be sent back to a place worse than Hell!" She reasoned, "I broke my contract, Dante!" He didn't listen; his blood boiled heavily. He glared down on her; maybe all this time she was just a user. She used people for her personal benefit. She didn't think of others; she thought of herself.

"...Then maybe that's where you belong." His harsh words cut deep, "You're acting just like a greedy demon...I thought you wanted to be human." She wanted to cry, wanted to look him deep in his eyes that she needed this. But his answer was enough. She wasn't going to fight it any longer.

"Fine." She stumbled towards Braith, picked her from Dante's arms, and their diaper bag, and stomped to the door, "It's always been about you." She said before shutting the door. Dante stood there quiet and speechless. The moment before Gemma slammed the door, he saw a glimpse of Braith about to tear up. It was the first depressive facade she had ever shown to him. A feeling of ache hit his chest; was seeing the little girl leaving with her mother painful for him?

He denied it. He looked over at the wall and punched it fiercely. A dent was made against the metal. He slowly pressed himself off the wall and looked at the dent. It was deep. He exhaled heavily and rushed to the fridge in the kitchen. Quickly he grabbed a bottle of beer and beige. He knew he wouldn't be happy or tired for the rest of the night.

* * *

The streets weren't silent with Braith whining. Luckily, the skies were grey and Gemma hid in the shadows away from the human folk. Braith's cries were loud and aggravating to Gemma's ears. She hushed her daughter repeatedly by rocking her in her tired arm. She didn't want to see Braith sad, but she couldn't stay with Dante. His ignorance bothered her; it wasn't the fact of murdering someone bothered her, she had done it before, but the fact of all the kindness and politeness she offered to Dante, she thought she was just. Her mind was blinded by false morals. Tired and sleepy, Gemma stopped at a bus stop bench and sat down with Braith on her lap. The girl continued to cry.

"Braith, it's okay." She attempted to calm her, "We don't need him." Her words didn't appear to do better. The girl's eyes were red and her whimpers were annoying. Gemma sighed and looked both ways of the street. It was empty and the wind picked up. Gemma held her cheek to feel the ooze drip. She was disgusted with herself; she didn't want to resort to revealing herself as a demon. Especially in a world where Limbo and humans have combined. She was destined to be targeted and killed now by fellow city folk who braved missions like Dante.

Gemma's eyes began to water and her tears and slime mixed together. She whimpered, trying to suppress her sadness from Braith. It was too late though; Braith witnessed it behind her cries and stared at her mother sympathetically. With her tiny hand, Braith cupped her mother's chin.

"Momma?" Braith said. Gemma looked up and met her daughter's eyes. She couldn't help, but to cry more. All these feelings and emotions Gemma expressed took a heavy toll on her. She couldn't remain crying for the rest of her disintegration. She had to go find a woman... and skin her before Gemma, and Braith, were sighted by anyone.

* * *

It was only the afternoon and Dante was still drinking. He slumped against the couch, staring at the coffee table. He could envision Braith standing on it. He then looked over at the kitchen and a envision of Gemma taking the trash out came to mind. He frowned in anger and chugged his beer. After Gemma and Braith left, Dante wanted to forget everything about the two. He believed they were different. He believed Gemma was innocent and didn't want to resort back to becoming a demon. He was wrong. He couldn't think about the situation straight. The alcohol was clouding his mind. He suddenly figured something; he had to get out and let off steam. He didn't want to find Gemma. Not yet. He figured hunting some lesser demons could cool him off. He got off the couch, grabbed his jacket and headed out. The beer he drank sat on the coffee table, lonely and uninterrupted.

Dante walked passed his neighbor's trailer. It was still surprising to think this lady still remained in this part of town, being old and lonely. He really didn't know anything of her, but she was nosy and seemed to be very fond of Gemma and Braith. He then hoped the old hag didn't see the commotion and Gemma's current form. Last thing he needed was an earful from someone he hardly knew. Suddenly, the lady's door opened frantically. It was too late to escape.

"Dante!" The lady cried out, "Is everything okay?! I think I saw Gemma not too long ago." Dante glared at the woman over his shoulder and continued walking. The old lady stepped out of her trailer, making the steps creak. Dante didn't want to deal with this woman; she wasn't a demon, so he didn't want to kill her. He didn't want to be hypocritical since this idea was like Gemma's.

"Did they leave? Braith and Ms. Gemma?" the elderly woman asked, "I was going to come over and invite you three for lunch."

"Go away." Dante replied, aggravated by the woman's brown-nosing, "They're not coming back." Dante heard the lady gruff and stomp her foot. She appeared taken back.

"Did you do something to them?! I swear I'll-"

"DO WHAT?! HIT ME WITH YOUR FUCKING FRYING PAN?!" He turned to her and bursted out. The lady hesitated; although she continued to stare at him, her eyes grew wide and frightful. Dante saw the expression she held and sighed. The woman smacked her lips before she spoke.

"...I was only trying to help, boy." The woman managed to say, "If you knew what compassion was, you'd understand." The woman stepped back into her trailer and slammed the door behind her. Dante stood there, alone and uninterrupted. The wind picked up, but it didn't bother him. What did was the old hag's words. He decided he needed to do something about what's happening to Gemma. He needed answers, not violence to solve what was going on. He needed to talk to someone. Someone who knew spells and incantations. He knew exactly who to go see.

* * *

The wind created an eerie whisper against the sidewalk trees and ghetto avenues. It was too quiet considering many homeless people would live around these parts, but Gemma was used to this. From her experience, the homeless migrated to warmth and food and temporary shelters. The two days she stayed with Dante felt like her perspective changed quite a bit. She was homeless for two years before meeting Dante; she lived on the streets, scavenging for food, and hiding herself from other demons. She lacked fighting skills and solved her situations by escape. It came to her realization, she just did that with Dante. Instead of continuing to fight him, to make him understand, she left.

She sighed and walked passed a large apartment complex. Braith lied cradled against her mother's chest and arms tucked. The building looked renovated compared to its' neighboring buildings. Suddenly a sound caught Gemma's attention. It was from either the second or third floor of the apartments. Gemma stopped and stared up at it. The sound came again, more or less, of a woman.

Gemma's eyes widened. Her desire for flesh started to feed on her thoughts. Maybe this was Gemma's chance; she possibly had the chance to rejuvenate herself again. This area was desolent and there appeared to be no witnesses. Gemma's heartbeat increased, and Braith noticed. Her daughter's head lifted up to look at her mother with curious eyes. To see her mother like this, it appeared Braith was used to this. Maybe she's see it before? Gemma looked down at her daughter and smiled.

"Can you be a good girl for mommy?" She asked her little girl sweetly, "Mommy's going to get better, okay?" Braith, without a word, hugged her mother's neck and with that, Gemma walked up the stoop and entered the apartment complex.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hey~ So if you're reading this, thank you! Also, if you're wondering how can Gemma's skin peel from sweat and moisture and not from the hot shower, then that will be answered. Actually the hot shower started her to peel. The club made it worsen because of the excessive heat. Gemma hadn't showered for ages because of this condition of her skin. I hope that answers any questions!


	8. Inquisition

**Chapter 8: Inquisition**

The walk wasn't easy; deep in the low-class territory, he knew this location well. It was the same burrow, yet north of where he ran into Gemma and Braith. He didn't come to this particular place because of her though. Dante had arrived in a dusty alley, where he stood before a giant brick wall.

The wall was covered in graffiti; the mural was of a woman, eyes closed and her hair flowing elegantly in the colored wind. Her hands entangled each other as though she was praying. She had pale skin and she had black tears streaming down her cheeks. The sudden realization that this woman looked a lot like a certain woman he knew agitated him. He then put his hand on the mural's right eye and the bricks slide to the side. The eye revealed a numeral control panel, glowing with blue LCD lights. He entered a four-digit code into the panel and the ground began to rumble. The wall unraveled before him a long corridor to another wall. Thinking Kat had a lot of time on her hands to create this, Dante grinned and shook his head.

He entered the corridor and approached the wall. This time, there was no mural, but a few bricks that stacked oddly against the wall. He flipped the first stone off of the others, showing another familiar control panel and entered another code in. The wall revealed a short passage to a door, where Dante watched it unlock and approached it. He opened the door, which revealed a bright light. Dante shielded his face with his arm.

"Ugh, I need to talk to Kat about this entrance again. Goddamn, it's fucking bright!" He said before closing the door behind him.

* * *

_Somewhere on the opposite side of town..._

The noise was still soft as Gemma walked up the apartment stairs. She left Braith by the front door, knowing if she were to take her along, she'd only cause more trouble. Slowly, she listened carefully to sound this woman was making. It had a rhythm to it as though she was singing. The tune, Gemma didn't know, but she was sure this woman was alone. It was her chance to attack this human and take her flesh. Gemma's blood ran quickly as her heart pumped. She was anticipating this since she took notice of her dying skin at the subway train last night. She wanted to rejuvenate herself again; she wanted to look human. Her decomposed flesh was gradually shedding off her body; although, she wasn't completely skinned from her human flesh, she still contained the appearance of a demon ripping itself out of a human.

She reached the third floor where the voice was prominent and loud. The apartment door, number 323, was cracked open. There was no chain or lock visible between the crack from Gemma's view. She slowly slid against the wall towards the door. She didn't want to frighten this woman. She was the hunter and her prey was just behind that door. She glanced down at the doorknob and reached for it.

* * *

Kat looked at Dante in surprise. Her eyes were wide and she couldn't fathom words for a reply. The two stood across from each other in one of the discussion rooms Kat furnished for blueprinting. Dante looked at her with a serious disposition and leaned against the table where blueprints lied. Kat crossed her arm and frowned at him. She just came back from a journey around the state and to be greeted by her distant partner who was asking such a strange question.

"So, let me get this straight." Kat began, "You just met this demon who uses _human skin_ two days ago and she asked _you _to kill someone?" Dante nodded.

"Yeah."

"And," She continued, "And you...Dante... Dante the Demon Slayer... is asking me if there's a spell or whatever that can make demons...become _humans_?!"

"Yeah." He repeated with his tone unchanged. Kat's frown deepened. She was certain she was hearing things, but he didn't necessarily applied his reason for mentioning this demon and why he asked such a question afterwards. Kat stayed silent for a moment and paced back and forth; Dante watched her awaiting for an answer. Kat then stopped with her back facing him. She looked over her shoulder at him and still viewed his serious expression.

"I don't understand, Dante." She muttered, "Are you trying to help this demon? Are you trying to save him?"

"Her." He said quickly.

"What?" Kat looked back at him again, a bit taken back by his correction.

"This demon is a woman." Dante stated, "She's a mother of a halfing."

"A halfing?! Like a Nephilim?" Kat asked. The statement caught Kat's interest even more. Dante rubbed his forehead and looked back up at Kat.

"No, she's half-human, half-demon." Dante continued, "Look, I'm just asking if you know a spell that turns a demon, maybe even hybrids, into a human." Kat put her hands up as though she was telling him to slow down.

"Wait, let's back it up here." Kat looked at Dante in the eye, "Dante, do you have feelings for this demon? This doesn't sound like you; you've been slaying demons for a long time now without any mercy and yet, this demon and her bastard child comes in and you're suddenly asking to change them into humans?!"

"SHE'S NOT A BASTARD CHILD, KAT!" Dante yelled; Kat stepped back. His tone made Kat realize the truth he wasn't holding back. Dante huffed and exhaled heavily, "Sorry... the kid's not a bad kid. Even if she's half-demon. She can be a pain in the ass, but..." His uttered words stroke Kat; she could see in his eyes that he wasn't being selfish and maybe, just maybe, cared about this child and her mother. Yet with his short and sudden outburst of his particular answers made it clear to her.

"Dante," Kat said calmly, "tell me the truth. You're not telling me everything. I can't help you if I don't know." Dante stared at her, a bit annoyed. he was trying to get to the point with her, but it seemed it wasn't going to pass until he told Kat what was going on.

"You want to know?" Dante asked. He sighed and looked up at Kat. He felt a heavy heart on this subject and exhaled again, "This demon and her child... they're not like any demon I ever met. They actually have feelings and personalities that I never seen demons express. I feel I could have helped them because Gemma-...I mean, the mother asked me to help her kill a human, so she could have her skin. But I can't; that'd be against everything I've been fighting for... so... I figured after they left... I could, at least, help them avoid innocent bloodshed... and become... human."

Kat stared in his eyes with a sympathetic heart. His gaze avoided hers, but she sensed Dante's expression. As cocky, selfish, and stubborn he was, he was showing his way of feelings for another. This was interesting in her perspective.

He slayed countless demons without question and now he hesitated acting out on his duty as a demon slayer. He hesitated and let a demon mother and her child stay with him. The couple of days they spent together must have been something special, Kat thought. Kat wanted to hear Dante say the words; she just had to get it out of him. She turned to him, lifted his chin, and smiled. Dante stared back at her confused.

"Gemma, huh? ...You know, Dante?" Kat started, "...You must have fallen in love with these two demons, huh?"

"What?!" He yelped, "No!" He slapped her hand away. Kat, feeling her hand sting from the abuse, ignored it and continued to smile. She could see Dante was still avoiding her gaze.

"You're denying it, Dante." Kat smiled, "I know how it was to fall for someone you couldn't be with...: Kat's thoughts drifted off to her memories with Vergil.

He was the one who brought her out of her nightmares and showed her a new light in life. He formed this freedom fight before he claimed royalty over humanity. She felt her heart tear like it did the moment Vergil revealed his true intentions months ago. She should have stopped him, but instead, found humanity's fate to be more faithful than her feelings. She then shook off the nostalgic feelings and looked at Dante with a determined face. She didn't want Dante to lose his chance like she did.

"So, tell me you love them, Dante..." Her smile grew genuine, "...and I'll help you find an inquisition to save these two." Dante was taken back. Her offer was grand, but he didn't know exactly how he felt about Gemma and Braith. He didn't want to admit to Kat; she was a medium, someone who understood, at least on some level, of what he's talking about. Maybe it was their company the past couple days that made him feel... special. Maybe it was the fact the little girl showed affection to him and her mother... her mother was something different.

Dante lowered his head and smirked for a second. He started thinking about Gemma. Her smiling face from last night came to mind. She looked so happy. Her cheeks were red from the alcohol and her long hair was held back, allowing viewers to see her high cheekbones and slender neck. He suddenly remembered though. They just had a fight before he came here. She said she needed to kill a woman. She said if she doesn't, she'd be sent somewhere worse than Hell. She even said she broke her _contract_. What did she mean by that? Suddenly, another thought hit him.

"Kat, do you know anything about demons having contracts?" He asked, shooting his gaze up at her. Kat was quiet for a second; just a moment ago,Dante was silent to himself and his head drooped down. Kat thought for a moment and she smiled.

"I think I do, actually." She said, "We'll need to go into the database to find out more though. Luckily, my followers have been researching and collecting information like that for us to help fight off the rest of the demons...physically and spiritually."

Dante smiled in relief. Kat knew he never was really going to say the words, but his smile said it all. She guided him out of the room they discussed in and headed down to another room down the hall. Suddenly, Dante cleared his throat. The reason Kat left Limbo City was for two objectives.

"Hey Kat," Dante muttered, "Did you run into... Vergil on your travel?" Once the question finished, Kat turned to look at him.

* * *

Gemma's hand gripped the knob tightly and slowly she pushed the door in. There wasn't a creak or a sound echoing from the door, but the voice from inside didn't stop singing. Gemma disregarded the fact and opened the door wide. Inside, the place was unfurnished and stale with musty condition. Across the room sat a record player playing. The voice Gemma heard wasn't from an actual woman; it was the record player. Gemma frowned and walked towards the object. She felt betrayed and annoyed by this disception. Suddenly, the door behind her slammed shut and she heard Braith cry out loudly.

"MOMMA!"

"Braith!" Gemma hollered, but only to be greeted by her daughter's scared face enveloped in a stranger's arms and chest, "W-who are you?! Let go of my daughter!"

The stranger examined Gemma from head to toe. His smirk didn't scare Gemma; it terrified her.

"You have his scent on you." The stranger in black murmured.


	9. Motivation

**Author's Note: To everyone who chose to follow the past 3 years and stick with it, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! You guys have inspired me to continue this great story, and while you can find me being productive on DEVIANTART as BrittBailey and Youtube as Britt Does Whatever, I have found the determination to work on this again. So I thank you again. It's been a few years since I wrote this, so my original outline for this story got lost in the process and it is now plotted out in a way that will flow with whatever I can try to recover. Any questions, ask by reviewing and they'll be answered in the next chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Motivation**

"Thanks again, Kat, for the ride. Let me know if you find out more about _anything."_ Dante emphasized while exiting her car and sliding a used flip phone into his pocket. Kat sat in her car until Dante entered his trailer. The door slammed behind him.

She shook her head in dissatisfaction. She didn't have any valid information on demon contacts except humans striking deals with demons. This wasn't the cause though; Gemma was full-blooded demon who had a deal with another demon, as she said. She didn't even hear about or see Vergil during her travels. She knew that disappointed Dante, but in due time, it was inevitable to see him again. Vergil left his sibling rivalry abruptly that day. Kat put her car in reverse and left down the pier.

Dante stared at his empty home. There was no one, more importantly, a woman and child lingering; even though it was only two days, it felt like they were around forever. It felt what most would call 'a family unit' had taken over his life. Dante took off his jacket and threw it on his couch. He knew it was always quiet in his home, but with Gemma and Braith gone, it was miserably silent. He turned on his television set and grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge. He took out the phone Kat gave him and started at it until he dazed of into thoughts.

It didn't feel right for Dante to sit around and figure things out by himself. He understood what he was doing; even though he went to Kat for Gemma's best interest, he was still upset about her determination to be a human skin thief. It was against what he was doing for the humans, but it was hypocritical at the same time to protect a demon and her spawn child. He wanted to see her human. He did see her as a human. He did once he got to know her better. She just wanted to be human. She wanted a normal life for her and her daughter.

He then questioned what she said again. She made a deal, and because of that bargain, she's still struggling to have her freedom. Demons were weird. They do whatever they can to get what they want and face the consequences afterwards. He had to know more of who she made this pact with. It had to be a greater demon. It couldn't be Mundus, at least he thought. Mundus was a ruler of self-worth and looked out for himself; although he was mighty and cared for his spawn child, he didn't care for anyone else.

Dante finished his beer. It was apparent to him what he had to do next. The only way he could find out about Gemma's dealer was talking to the source. He had to find Gemma.

* * *

_Back in Apartment #323_

Gemma was scared stiff; she could easily tackle the man and grab Braith before he could harm her, but she just couldn't. Her knees buckled. Her hands clamped. The man before her was pale and fair; everything about him was white except his icy-black jacket. He resembled someone she knew. Gemma could see the devil in him; even more, she knew he was Nephilim.

"W-who are you?! Let go of my baby!" She reached out, but stopped when he held his katana towards her throat. Braith whimpered at seeing her mother in harm's way; the man hushed her. Gemma continued, "Don't hurt her! I-I beg of you!" The stranger didn't bother to hear her plea; he squeezed Braith tightly in his grasp and frowned at Gemma.

"What do you know of my brother Dante, demon? You share his aura. That's not a coincidence." He asked sternly. Gemma opened her mouth, but she couldn't muster an answer.

This devil before her was in-tuned with his power. No demon, in her experience, had ever reached their potential like him before. She could sense the angelic side of him diminish. She looked deep into his eyes, trying to see if this man meant the truth of Dante as his brother. It dawned on her; his facial features and jawline resembled Dante. She could see the relation now. She held her hands up in surrender.

"Answer me or I'll cut her throat." Gemma was stricken with fear. She just wanted to have her human skin renewed. She wanted to continue her humanity without this trouble. The reasons this man had to abduct Braith and threaten their lives were unknown to her. This was too much; she didn't understand what was going on. She fell to her knees with her hands still up.

"Please... let her go. Please, I'll tell you whatever you want. Don't hurt her. Dante is my friend. But the girl you're holding is my daughter, and I refuse to lose her. I sacrificed so much to have this skin and her in my life. And even if I told about Dante, what will you do? Do you really think he can take him? Are you trying to copy him!? He's stronger and more passionate than you could ever be!"

"Wrong answer." He said. He slashed the air and threw Braith into the void he created. Braith met her mother's eye with tears before she disappeared. Gemma, in a panic, ran towards the portal, but was restricted by his grasp around her neck.

"BRAITH!" She screamed. She struggled from his grasp, but made no effort. He chuckled and let her go once the portal closed. Gemma's eyes oozed heavily of the black slime. The tears her demon body gave had overcame. She hollered and turned back at the man.

"DANTE LIVES AT THE BELLEVUE PIER. NOW LET ME HAVE MY DAUGHTER!"

"Fair enough." Those were the last words she heard before she entered the darkness.

* * *

**From Britt: Excuse me, I'm still getting in the groove of writing again.**


	10. Start

**Author's Note: Remember the Elite Stygian in the game? Imagine Gemma as that, but half of her face is still her face. To see an illustration of Gemma, go to DeviantART and search "Gemma BrittBailey." If you don't have a DeviantART account, not all the drawings I've done will show because I have them on private from the public. I'm avoiding copyright and theft is why it's like that. Also, this story's picture has her in the thumbnail, so I hope that helps. You're welcome.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Start**

Traffic woke her. Her head ached as she sat up; succumbing to reality, she looked around for her little redheaded child. All she saw was the trademark giant bridge in the middle of Limbo City over her head. The ground beneath her was cold concrete, sludge, and trash had littered the lot. Within the debris, she panicked. Her daughter or anyone wasn't to be found. It was quiet and lonely with the traffic humming in the wind. She was sure the void would have sent her to the same place as Braith, but it was clear that they didn't come together. Gemma's heart ached. This was the first time she had ever been apart from her flesh-and-blood for this long.

Her stress formed into tears dripping down her face. As she lifted her hands to wipe her tears, her hands held no flesh against her. She stared in horror of the porcelain skin. Her fingers were dirty from the dirt she landed on and her palms were stained. She looked like any other Stygian now. She frantically touched her head and shoulders. Half of her head held her long, black hair in place, but the other half was gone. Her fingertips felt the cold, hard texture of her scalp. Her hands caressed her cheeks and found both tears and her ooze seeping from her face. It was unnerving to feel like this. She whimpered and rubbed her eyes. Her daughter was nowhere to be found, her human skin was mostly gone, and she was near Limbo's prison asylum.

This forsaken place brought chills down her spine. This is where she first spawned into the living realm. When Limbo and the human world collided, this was where she first came. It was from this starting point that she went to find her daughter for the first time when the worlds combined. And it was the same place she was going to look for her again. She wanted to bash her head into the ground. This was too much. She didn't want to repeat her steps again. She slammed her hands down and readied her frontal lobe against the concrete. She couldn't stop crying.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You would just wake up here again instead of Hell like the rest of them." An old voice called out. Gemma freaked and looked in the direction of the commentator. It was a blue-skinned demon wearing heavy rags and a mechanical eye. He appeared from behind a scrapped truck. She rubbed her eye roughly.

"What do you mean? Will I stay in this perpetual circle even if I call for eternal death?" Gemma asked, "I no longer can call myself human or demon. Life has no meaning without my pride and joy."

"Well, yes, but only because you're a demon, Gemma. Humans would arrive here and sent forth to the Forest of Suicides because of jumping from this suspension, but for us demons, the pain is eternal and will always bring us back to our birthplace." He looked her in the eyes and can see her curiosity," And, before you ask how I know your name, my eye sees you in a different perspective, my dear Stygian. I am Phineas, a scholar of sorts."

Gemma nodded, agreeing immediately to his word. She didn't want to babble onward about it. She wanted to know where Braith is and why she ended up here. She thought coming through the void like Braith did, she would have followed, but that wasn't true. Gemma cried.

"Have you seen a little girl come around here?" She asked meekly. She whimpered and he saw her trouble through her words. Considering her words, Phineas understood them as motherly and genuine to this female demon's relief.

"No. I'm sorry. I've seen Stygian and Bathas, one after another, but no child around the prison. Do you want to find her?"

"Yes!"

"Then loitering around here won't help." He guided her indirectly with his hand to leave this place, but when she stood up, she had to ask him. He mentioned birthplace.

"Earlier, you said demons arrive back at their birthplace. What do you mean by that?"

"Ah. Yes, I thought you would ask," He cleared his throat, "Demons are born from Limbo, but not all of them were demon-born. Some who used to be human will respawn here as a demon for the troubles they've abused while existing in their world. Some will even respawn here because there's unfinished business left for them. Is there something that brought you back here?" Gemma remembered the void the Dante-look-alike created to send her here.

"I came through a portal by a doppelganger of some sort. He threw my daughter in first and I hoped to go after here. He looked like him... he looked like Dante... but it wasn't. He had a much more sinister aura about him." Gemma rubbed the back of her head; noticing the name, Phineas raised a brow. It was common for a demon to know of Dante, but hearing Gemma, a demon, talk about a Nephilim the way she did. It was unclear to him what connection the two had, but many mysterious things surrounded Dante.

"You mean the Nephilim? How do you... never mind. What's important is for you to find what you are missing, yes?" Phineas asked, "If you're looking for answers, you should start in the prison."

"Why there? I loathe this place. This isn't where I killed my first human..." Gemma stopped talking.

Her memory served her. Humans who died are sent to either Heaven, Limbo, or Hell; after realizing the woman she killed would arrive here, she remembered her clearly now. She was a terrible woman. Drugs poisoned her lungs and liver. Her body was tainted. She spoke of unnerving things about humanity and others' well-being. This human woman was also the surrogate mother of Braith. This was why Gemma took her life. This was why Gemma took her skin. She had to save Braith from further destruction because she was the woman who brought Braith into this world. But the woman was linked to her in a way she couldn't explain it out loud. The contract Gemma held from her previous contractor cursed this woman as a link to her humanity. Gemma cried again and looked at the long road leading to the prison. She had to find her.


	11. Again

**Chapter 11: Again**

Limbo City: Downtown

* * *

Dante was fed up with walking around the district. He hoped he'd encounter Gemma and her brat, but he had no luck. He thought straying in this neighborhood again he'd find them. Although now that he stopped to think, he asked himself what if Gemma got her new skin and looked entirely different. The idea pissed him off. He spent the past few hours looking for her, thinking of her, and didn't even think she could already look like someone else. He kicked the brick wall. The spot he kicked crumbled chips of brick.

"For fuck's sake, Dante, you dumb ass!" All he could do was curse himself. He had to rethink all the places he visited, all the faces he already saw, and all the possibilities whether she was still in town or not. Then it occurred to him; just because her appearance changed, her daughter didn't. She couldn't; she was half human and half demon. To his relief, if he saw Braith, he would have seen Gemma. Unfortunately, he didn't see any children today. Suddenly, his phone rang to which he answered.

"Hello?"

"Dante," Kat greeted, "I got intel about a horde of demons on Bellevue Pier, where you live! Are you still home? Do you need back-up?"

"No, when can't I handle it? You should know by now. Did you find anything out yet about demons and contracts?"

"No. I'm still looking though. I'll call you again when I find something."

"Thanks." He hung up and looked at the cross streets he stood at. The signs are musty and the post light was flickering frantically. He wasn't too far; with some of the damage from the worlds colliding, ledges and gaps were still enabled and he set in motion with his grappling hook. He hooked to the first hook line and swung. He should've searched for Gemma and Braith like this from the start. He cursed at himself again.

A horde of demons was nothing new to him. Having Kat inform him, now that she was in town, saved a lot of trouble. As he reached closer to his destination, his mind went to Gemma. He didn't feel bad that he told her what he said, but he could have handled the situation better. He could have told her to stay and they would work it out together somehow. He could have told her she couldn't go about and kill another human because of Braith. But he didn't. He let his anger get the best of him. He huffed as he saw his destination. He could see his home now, but a horde of demons standing around his trailer. He landed onto the pier. When his boots hit the ground, it caught his enemies' attention.

"Well, who's first, bitches!?" He hollered and summoned Rebellion. One at a time, he struck them down, occasionally high-timing one or two into the air. One behind him held its sawblade up, but before it could swing, Dante had rico-shot him with Ivory. More Bathas became visible as they flew to him. He grinned and took his frustration out on them. With a grip of his angelic grappling hook, he was led towards the demonic flying babies. This felt amazing; after the stress and worry he been through, letting lose on these demons was heaven. Within time, the demons dissolved into ash and he smiled devilishly.

Before he could look around, a barrier of black slime spiked from the ground and a Butcher stomped into the arena. Dante frowned.

"You wanna go, sawboy?!" Dante called out to it. The Butcher raised his saw blades up and lashed. The blades traveled against the ground. Dante parried and switched to the Eros fists. He rolled towards the behemoth and readied his aim. Each punch he held, the stronger the impact. The damage was made by cracking the glass belly of the Butcher. The large demon rammed his blade down at Dante again, but with quick reaction, he dodged the attack and rolled away from the beast. Dante didn't see the man in black appear behind the demon.

"Long time, no see... brother. You're getting rusty." Dante got distracted and was struck. The blade cut through from shoulder to his stomach and with enough energy from the damage, Dante jumped away.

"What the fuck, Vergil?!" Dante held his wound. The Butcher stood still as Vergil stepped from behind it. His devious smile caught Dante's attention.

"It's nice to see you again, Dante. Are you ready to rule under me now?" Vergil's eyes were ice-white. He didn't look like the man Dante grew to know before Mundus was defeated. It disgusted him. He figured that Vergil was awakened by his inner demon. He gritted hos teeth.

"Are you fucking crazy?" Dante asked, "I don't like your new cavalry by the way; maybe if you stepped up your outfit, ya know, like lose the glowing eyes and cocky macho man facade, people would like your sorry ass more."

"Pleasant as usual." Vergil responded. Dante frowned at how ominous his brother appeared by his remark. Vergil gripped Yamato in his hand. As soon as he did, Dante held Rebellion. It was like their match last time. Brother versus brother. This could be the last.

"Shall we finish this then?" Vergil said, "We could still be a team, Dante. We could still face this damned world together."

"The only damned here is you!" Dante charged at Vergil swiftly and slashed at him. Vergil blocked it and slid the sword across Dante's blade, aiming for his neck. Dante pulled back and swung at him again.

It was a furious clash of metal. Neither of the brothers bent to the other's will. It was a close call for Dante. Every strike was closer to vitally hurting him from his chest to his head. He knew his brother was strong, but his devil trigger increased by tenfold. Dante lashed at him, but Vergil teleported behind him and jabbed Dante in his back. The shock threw Dante across the hardwood pier.

"You know, dear brother. I ran into a female demon that smelled like you. Are you trying to start your own demonic army?" Vergil taunted. Dante gritted his teeth. The second he heard him say 'female demon,' there was only one person: Gemma. Dante stood to his feet.

"What did you do, Vergil?!" Dante hollered. Vergil could see it struck a nerve.

"Oh, you do know her? She surely was one of a kind demon. How sad that you lowered your standards-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Dante screamed and charged at Vergil. Rebellion stabbed into him and pinned him down. Vergil gritted his teeth in anger. Blood dripped from his mouth. He tried to pull himself up, but Dante stomped on his chest and yelled, "YOU DON'T SHIT TALK ABOUT HER WHEN I'M AROUND!"

All Vergil could do was laugh. The fire in Dante's eyes was hot. His eyes turned black. Vergil grabbed Rebellion by the blade and kicked Dante off. He stumbled backwards. Vergil got up and wiped the blood from his lip.

"How can such a demon make you feel this way, Dante? Are you getting soft? You couldn't get humans to like you, so you moved onto demons? Was it your idea to dress her up like a human too? Foolish, Dante. Foolish."

"You wouldn't fucking know, now would you?!" Dante's skin turned white. His devil trigger activated. With Dante awakened, Vergil's doppelganger appeared. Vergil's shoulder glowed icy blue as the shadowy figure stood beside him. Both Dante and Vergil were facing each other with their demonic powers in an uproar.

"Let's go." Vergil demanded and led his doppelganger towards Dante.

Dante shielded his face as the shadow struck. One blow after another, Dante's defense didn't die down. His health continued to spike. Vergil could see his devil trigger running low quickly. There was no way Dante could keep this up. Suddenly, Dante's footing slipped and the doppelganger smacked him. Vergil laughed when Dante fell to the ground. The doppelganger walked over to Dante with his dark Yamato in hand. Dante tried to stand up, but the figure stomped on his ankle. He hissed. The moment the doppelganger readied his blade towards Dante's heart, Dante looked back at Vergil. Seeing Vergil's shoulder glowed blue, Dante swung his grapple at him. But before it cold reach him, Vergil snapped his fingers. A black portal spurred from the ground and pulled Dante in. He was gone. The doppelganger disappeared. Vergil stood there alone on the dock.

"That's enough from you, dear brother. I'll satisfy my revenge after I dominate this world. I'll make sure to make you into a mantle piece when I'm through." Vergil manically laughed. He knew if Dante had clung to him in that moment, he could have been done for. He wasn't going to take the chance. Vergil looked onward to Limbo City as hordes of demons had risen from the ocean.


	12. Reconciliation

_Previously on Finding Paradiso with Gemma..._

_"You mean the Nephilim? How do you... never mind. What's important is for you to find what you are missing, yes?" Phineas asked, "If you're looking for answers, you should start in the prison." Phineas informed her._

_"Why there? I loathe this place. This isn't where I killed my first human..." Gemma stopped talking._

_Her memory served her. Humans who died are sent to either Heaven, Limbo, or Hell; after realizing the woman she killed would arrive here, she remembered her clearly now. She was a terrible woman. Drugs poisoned her lungs and liver. Her body was tainted. She spoke of unnerving things about humanity and others' well-being. This human woman was also the surrogate mother of Braith. This was why Gemma took her life. This was why Gemma__ too__k__ her skin. She had to save Braith from further destruction because she was the woman who brought Braith into this world. But the woman was linked to her in a way she couldn't explain it out loud. The contract Gemma held from her previous contractor cursed this woman as a link to her humanity. Gemma cried again and looked at the long road leading to the prison. She had to find her._

* * *

**Chapter 12: Reconciliation**

As Gemma grabbed the ledge, she found her footing and pulled herself up. The climb was tiresome, but it was necessary to get closer to the prison. She was so close, she could see the entrance. She had to get inside and find the woman she killed long ago. She was the key for Gemma to become human. At least that's what she assumed from Phineas's words of wisdom. She wasn't sure how; but she figured if she repent for her sin, she could be redeem herself. She jumped to the next platform and looked onward.

Her mind continued to wonder about Braith. She never had been away from her daughter's side for this long. She then thought about her past. She thought about her former lover, Braith's father, the woman she mutilated to get her skin, and the sacrifices she made to get where she was. Last, but not least, she thought of Dante, the Nephilim that destroyed the worlds' barrier from demon to human and the same man she had grown fond of. If it wasn't for him, she might have never ran into the man in black at the apartment that separated her and Braith. If it wasn't for Dante, she would have never understood what morality and emotion could do to a person. Everything that had happened to her besides losing Braith, she didn't regret any of it.

Meeting Dante was a miracle, in her eyes, and she was glad she met him. A part of her wished she didn't leave with him angry and disappointed. The look in his eyes were strong, and she didn't want to disrespect him. She thought it was for the best that she left. She then realized she was wrong. She shouldn't have asked Dante to help her in killing a human; even though she gave up on arguing him, she didn't want to leave. She saw how happy Braith was with him and she was happy to see someone care about Braith and her. She recollected his facial features. The strong jawline and piercing blue eyes really captivated her. She remembered his smile he gave her all night when they went to the club. The cocky smirk he gave her when he said something devious. It warmed her heart to remember that night. It was unforgettable. His words of encouragement and including the snarky attitude were even more memorable. She sighed. She didn't want to leave.

Within a few feet of the entrance, she approached cautiously. There were no demons or guards. It was eerie and the chills crawled up her spine. Gemma didn't think she'd be scared of this place, but she was. She walked through the entrance, looking around for anyone. The prison was bigger than she expected. The floating platforms and the large railings widened the appearance. She looked up to see the floor levels. The demons and souls burdened to remain here forever must be above. Gemma saw the upside-down elevator from across the way. She quickly jumped from platform to platform. It had been too long since she did any physical activity like this. She blushed, thinking how embarrassing it'd be if Dante saw her right now.

Memories of Dante fighting those Stygians when she went for that fake job interview came to her. The way he handled them, it amazed her. As a Stygian, a demon of Limbo, she was always a terrible fighter. She ran because she never was powerful. She didn't want Braith to see her mother like that. She didn't want to ruin her flesh. She didn't want to fight. She never wanted to fight.

She reached the elevator and realized it was already activated. It was already on the bottom floor instead of the ceiling, leading further into the prison levels through the doorway. She thought it was stuck, but something or someone must have adjusted it while she was away. She passed the idea and headed onward. As she traveled further into the facility, the echoes of damned souls grew louder and louder. All of their voices combined, making any of them inaudible to distinct who was who. This was going to be harder than she thought.

None of them spoke a word. There were just screaming and hollering from all angles. As she examined the rooms by walking by, all of them were crying for help. There was no peace for these people. Gemma recalled the cries from the woman. The same woman she stole from to become human. She did not regret what she did until now.

Suddenly, she could hear the cry. She could hear the woman calling out for help. Gemma began to run, looking around anxiously for the lost soul. From corner to corner, there was no one matching her description. She was starting to worry. She started to wonder if the voices made her hallucinate. She panicked and ran pass several scattered souls. She could have been any of them. But it didn't seem right. Souls were spread across the halls and rooms. There was no distinction.

And then, there she was. Gemma stopped. She looked up at the soul stuck on the wall. The spirit's eyes were gone, but Gemma knew the look within them were the same as the woman she killed two years ago. Her skin glowed dark purple, signaling that her flesh wasn't attached to her embodiment. The soul stopped screaming and looked down at Gemma. Her eyes began to water. She knew her. She watched her murderer step forward and started clawing at her.

"You again?! What do you want, demon?! What more do you wish to take from me?!" The soul lashed out. Gemma frowned in despair. She could see the spirit was angry. It was no wonder why her soul ended here.

"I'm here to find truth." Gemma answered, "Before I get started, I want you to know that killing you had to be done… Let me explain."

"Why?! So I could rot in this madness? So you can play with my body like a puppet?! Looks like you made good use of it!" The female spirit yelled once she saw Gemma's skin was peeling off. What did you do to my baby after you killed me, you beast! Did you kill her too?! She didn't deserve to die! She wasn't even born yet-"

"**She never was yours, Claire**." Gemma replied in a calm voice. The soul held her breath. She stared at Gemma long and confused. She wanted to understand.

"What do you mean she was never mine, creature? She was in my stomach! I fucked people months before you even came along!"

"And why do you think I showed up then? It wasn't a coincidence. It was destiny." Everything Gemma said confused Claire, the name of the spirit she called out. Gemma stood against the wall next to Claire. The soul couldn't stop staring at Gemma. She was looking at her human skin hanging off Gemma's body. The flesh Gemma wore was faded badly. All she could see was Gemma's brown eyes. The black hair Gemma donned was still intact and tangled. Gemma glanced at the spirit and then outward to the hall she ran through.

"Then, explain yourself..." Claire whispered while tears fell from her eyes. Gemma was annoyed to hear her say that considering she wanted to in the first place. She ignored the thought and cleared her throat. She had a story to tell.

"Claire," Gemma began, "It wasn't a coincidence when I came after you that night. See, I'm a demon… obviously. And long before you… I made a deal with another demon. A hunter demon, to be exact. I'm not strong enough to make deals with humans or anyone, so I went to someone to help… As a demon, Claire, we are not allowed to procreate. But I messed around and became pregnant by a lost soul. I fell in love with a lost soul like you, Claire."

"What does that have to do with me then!?" She was listening; but even so, Gemma had to further her explanation.

"Because it's against the rules to procreate, I had to make a deal. A soul for a soul… for a soul. And… I'm sorry, that yours ended the way it did. See, Claire… a hunter demon allowed me to transfer my daughter, Braith, into you. You were easy to find: you were loose with men, you were vulnerable, you were… ready to pass your life on."

"I had plans, demon! I had a life and I was ready to get to them!"

"No. You weren't. The hunter demon said you were destined to die anyway. A demon doesn't break his rule. Only demons can twist the truth, they can't alter it." Gemma wanted to continue, "I wish I learned that at the time, for you see… because I had to take your life, a life had to be spared… My lover… the father of my child, had to be sentenced for eternal damnation. He was already trapped as a lost soul like you, but he had to suffer a much more painful torture for his daughter. For me…"

"But what about me?! What did I ever do to you?!"

"Nothing! And I'm sorry! I wish I could take it back for your sake! But I can't…" Gemma could sense Claire's anguish. She can see the hurt she caused this woman. If it didn't had to be that way, she could've change it. But she couldn't.

"Claire, I might just be able to do something for you, but I have to find my daughter. Our daughter. She's in trouble, Claire. She's beautiful, smart, and a joy. And I'm grateful. I'm sorry I used you. I'm sorry, for the pain and torture I made you face. I'm sorry for everything… I didn't want this. I wanted Braith." Gemma's eyes began to tear up. She felt sadness and regret. She could understand how Claire or any lost soul was feeling now. All these emotions were rushing through her body that she had to let it go. She had to express her regret to the one who needed care for the most. Claire didn't deserve to die. No one deserved to die without redemption and forgiveness. Gemma needed that. She needed forgiveness.

"Demon, I… I can't do anything anymore. I wanted to do so much and you took it from me. If this was really for our daughter, as you say, then why did you let me stay alive and watch my skin be skinned off my body?!"

"I had no other way! I did it for the little girl you called daughter, Claire! I couldn't let a demon child be your barring! She would have killed you if you birthed her yourself! She needed a mother figure that could handle her! She needed me, her real mother, to be with her!" Claire glared at Gemma. She was angry, but to learn this demon did so much to have this child, it was unfathomable. She questioned why a demon would go through the trouble. Maybe Gemma was more than just a demon. She wanted something that would improve her life. The way she did it was monstrous and horrifying, but to want something to make yourself feel more worthy was relatable. A part of her wanted what Gemma wanted: hope.

"Can you forgive me, Claire? The least I can do is tether your tie here as a soul and let you pass on peacefully. You would have to take it upon another demon or angel to be human again."

"What about you then? You obviously don't have my skin intact anymore, so what are you trying to do? You said your girl was in trouble, so why was coming to me a big deal for you?"

"Because if I release your soul, I can't be tied to you anymore. You can move on without burdens. I can continue my search to become human." Gemma whimpered and gripped her hands into fists, "I hate being a demon. You are controlled by rules and you never can be yourself. You have to be … someone else." The look in Gemma's eyes confused Claire, but she understood how it felt to act like someone else. Claire, in her past life, was a woman without a chain around her ankle. When she became pregnant, she believed her free life was over. But she changed. She became more aware of her surroundings and wanted to raise the child the way she wasn't. Loved and cared for. But because Gemma took her life, she couldn't enjoy it. She had to be sentenced to this death, but if Gemma said was true, she had no other choice.

"If killing me will release me from this prison, then do it." Claire offered, "I don't care anymore. I had my chance, but now that I'm here…there's no point. So just free me, demon." Gemma looked at her, seeing she had enough of this conversation. She was done.

She wasn't the human she was before; she was an embodiment of regret and hate, but it didn't relieve her of her humanity. Gemma stood in front of Claire, staring deep into her eyes. She couldn't say any more to this lost soul. Gemma inhaled deeply and as tears fell from her eyes, Gemma whipped her arm back. The once flesh-covered arm morphed into a long blade. Claire stared in horror at the metal piece and back into Gemma's eyes. Gemma had struck. Claire's tears flew onto Gemma's face as she hacked away. A few strikes and she was gone. Before Gemma could transform her arm back, Claire's spirit dispersed. Red orbs fell from her body and as Gemma collected the mystical orbs, tears fell from her eyes. This was the last time she was going to kill ever again.


	13. Secret

**Author's Note: I wonder what Braith, Gemma's two-year-old daughter, is up to? Let's find out!**

* * *

_Previously on Finding Paradiso in the Hellfire Prison..._

_Suddenly, Gemma could hear the cry. She could hear the woman calling out for help. Gemma began to run, looking around anxiously for the lost soul. From corner to corner, there was no one matching her description. She was starting to worry. She started to wonder if the voices made her hallucinate. She panicked and ran pass several scattered souls. She could have been any of them. But it didn't seem right. Souls were spread across the halls and rooms. There was no distinction._

_And then, there she was. Gemma stopped. She looked up at the soul stuck on the wall. The spirit's eyes were gone, but Gemma knew the look within them were the same as the woman she killed two years ago. Her skin glowed dark purple, signaling that her flesh wasn't attached to her embodiment. The soul stopped screaming and looked down at Gemma. Her eyes began to water. She knew her. She watched her murderer step forward and started clawing at her._

_"You again?! What do you want, demon?! What more do you wish to take from me?!" The soul lashed out. Gemma frowned in despair. She could see the spirit was angry. It was no wonder why her soul ended here._

_"I'm here to find truth." Gemma answered, "Before I get started, I want you to know that killing you had to be done… Let me explain."_

_"Why?! So I could rot in this madness? So you can play with my body like a puppet?! Looks like you made good use of it!" The female spirit yelled once she saw Gemma's skin was peeling off. What did you do to my baby after you killed me, you beast! Did you kill her too?! She didn't deserve to die! She wasn't even born yet-"_

_"**She never was yours, Claire**." Gemma replied in a calm voice. The soul held her breath. She stared at Gemma long and confused. She wanted to understand._

* * *

**Chapter 13: Secret**

The little redhead girl woke up hearing creaky swing sets. The swaying squeaks were rhythmic, yet it was the only sound heard. The girl rubbed her eyes to visualize where she was. The environment she arrived to was a playground in a lonely alleyway corner. It was a strange location for a playset to reside, but nonetheless, it had to be beneficial to neighborhood kids with limited access. There were no trees or grass; the playset was placed in a large sandbox, but the grains of sand lied low.

The most conspicuous trait this playground had were the morals that covered the walls. One had a horned demon embracing a red-haired angel, another piece vividly expressed a family of four holding hands, and a large moral showed a half-demon and a half-angel representing both sides of its race just above the tunnel to the city street. As she looked around, from left to right, it was a story, illustrated simple enough to tell a tale of a tragic story in a family that was broken by an evil man.

Braith looked at the little black-haired boy drawn with the family. He looked like Dante, with his blue eyes and white hair. She then noticed a twin of the child who had black hair. He also looked like Dante. She was confused. Was this the same person or two different people? She then thought of her mother, Gemma. She had never been separated from her except when she was at the neighbor's home that night. She examined her surroundings once more, believing she had to go find her mother.

Suddenly, a glow of light appeared behind her. She gasped and looked back. The beam grew brighter and brighter from the sky. The appearance of it formed a slender figure with white wings. Braith watched as it transformed into an angel, wearing long white robes. As holy and sacred this mystical being appeared, Braith noticed her black hair. It was dark and long like her mother's locks.

"Do not fear, my child." The angel greeted in a sweet, light tone, "I am here to help you." Braith frowned and held her chin down. She sensed the angel, graceful and kind, wasn't a sign from the heavens, but an omen. The demon blood in Braith said otherwise.

"Go away." Braith demanded. She hid behind the slide as the angel approached her. Her warm smile and gentle hand reached for the little girl, but she wasn't accepting. The angel giggled.

"You've lost your mother, haven't you?" She smiled, "I am your guide to her. Please come with me, my dear." Braith shook her head fiercely. She wanted to keep quiet, she didn't want to go anywhere with someone she didn't know, and she didn't want to be here. The angel stepped forward, but the girl equaled her pace.

"I can find my momma on my own." Braith replied. The angel was taken back. She didn't realize the redhead girl could speak more than a couple words. She grinned and stepped forward. Without warning, a strike of a lightning shocked the ground to the angel's feet. The angel gasped. Braith's hands curled into fists.

"I see, so you are a demon." The angel noticed. Braith frowned.

"Don't take me lightly, you liar." Braith said with her squeaky voice. The angel's eyes were wide with surprise in them. This girl looked no more than two-years-old, but her speech was advanced. The girl was no normal little girl.

"Liar? What do you ever mean, my child?"

"Don't play dumb. I can sense my kind like Momma can. Momma doesn't know, but I know when I see a demon." Braith surprised her more. She frowned. With the silence between the angelic creature and the little Halfling, the angel deviously grinned. She grabbed her own face and ripped off the flesh from it. Braith glared at the figure, seeing that she was right. This was no angel. The porcelain face and black eyes were that of a demon. Her white robes disintegrated into the air and her wings, ivory and bright, transformed into black ooze. The tips dripped heavily.

"Well, my child," The fake angel's voice turned sour, "I suppose my façade couldn't trick you. But you'll die like every lost child I've crossed!" The demonic angel charged for the diminutive girl. Her arm swung back and had struck at Braith. Braith ducked and ran behind the swings. She couldn't let her take her away. She had to find Gemma after the man in black divided them. She had to find her mother; she would be worried sick if she knew her daughter was in fight against a fellow demon.

The demon hovered at Braith and slashed with her claws. The wing set broke down and collapsed into pieces. Before Braith could look up, the demon stood before her. She towered over her, smiling like a crazy banshee. Braith gritted her teeth and shot her hand at the demon. Blue lightning sparked at her, touching her skin in a split shock. The demon growled at the pain and stepped back.

"How can a little girl like you hold such power?!"

"I'm half-demon, half-human. It should be obvious." Braith stated, "This is the first time I had to speak to someone and unfortunately, it had to be you." The demon was angry. The little girl was mocking her and her intelligence. The demon howled and attacked Braith again. Before the demon could damage her, Braith crawled under her cloak and grabbed the demon's ankle. She released the power of lightning onto her and the creature screamed in agony. The electrocution destroyed her body, forming into a pile of black slime. Braith watched the body disappear without an expression on her face.

Braith stressed her breath and walked away towards the tunnel. Her stamina was drained. She never released her power before, purely to avoid frightening her mother. Braith knew if her mother saw her, she would be concerned. She was sure she was worried now taking an account that she remained quiet in front of her and Dante. She thought about Dante again; he was a strange man, but she liked him. She could see her mother liked him too. He, a lonely man with few ambitions, allowed her and her mother to stay at his house. They were strangers, but after brief hours of interacting and learning each other's stories made them close. Braith liked that the man treated her well and genuine. Dante and Braith understood each other to an extent that they both didn't belong to the majority of race. That's why Braith liked him. She was a Halfling like he was.

She yawned and wanted to rest. But she couldn't because she was in danger. If one demon was after her, more would come. Braith walked down the dark tunnel that appeared to show city lights at the end. She was too little to be seen as a lost child, and she didn't want anyone or any help to find her mother. She was smart and strong enough to make her journey. She didn't know where to go though. Her mother knew the streets better than she did; she went where her mother did, and had to act out as a toddler. She wanted to tell her mom for a long time that she was a mature child, but it would have broken her heart.

Braith cared deeply for her mother. Braith remembered seeing her mother for the first time when Gemma cut open from the woman's womb. She was only 9-months-old, but her mindset was that of a five-year-old. Braith hated Claire. She remembered having memories of a woman laughing and poisoning her with alcohol and smoke while incubated. She wished she wasn't born from a human woman, but she had no choice. Her mother had to transfer her into this bag of human water in order to save her life. Braith knew where she came from. She knew she had to keep her intelligence and power from her mother, because if she knew, her mother's dream to live a human life would be harder to maintain. It was already hard for her to survive with a demon child and to never know she had the power to fight.

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**Author's Note: What?! Braith is an intelligent Halfling with the power of lightning? Where does this make sense, Britt?! Hahaha, you'll understand in later chapters. Thanks for reading and enjoying the story! Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	14. History

_Previously on Finding Paradiso with Dante..._

_Dante shielded his face as the shadow struck. One blow after another, Dante's defense didn't die down. His health continued to spike. Vergil could see his devil trigger running low quickly. There was no way Dante could keep this up. Suddenly, Dante's footing slipped and the doppelganger smacked him. Vergil laughed when Dante fell to the ground. The doppelganger walked over to Dante with his dark Yamato in hand. Dante tried to stand up, but the figure stomped on his ankle. He hissed. The moment the doppelganger readied his blade towards Dante's heart, Dante looked back at Vergil. Seeing Vergil's shoulder glowed blue, Dante swung his grapple at him. But before it cold reach him, Vergil snapped his fingers. A black portal spurred from the ground and pulled Dante in. He was gone. The doppelganger disappeared. Vergil stood there alone on the dock._

_"That's enough from you, dear brother. I'll satisfy my revenge after I dominate this world. I'll make sure to make you into a mantle piece when I'm through." Vergil manically laughed. He knew if Dante had clung to him in that moment, he could have been done for. He wasn't going to take the chance. Vergil looked onward to Limbo City as hordes of demons had risen from the ocean._

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**Chapter 14: History**

Where ever he landed, it was hard. His hands felt the ground and it was tile. It was dark and cold. The walls were worn and ahead of him was a wooden desk and a large, broken screen behind it. He observed his environment more carefully and saw he was in Mundus's old office in the Silver Wings Bank Tower. He loathed this place. It was hell to get through and it was hell to get out. Even worse, it was a prison for Mundus's victims and the cries for help haunted the building. Since the day Mundus was defeated, Dante hated looking at the city, just to see this eyesore of a building.

Dante stood to his feet and fixed his jacket. He brushed his shoulder and huffed. He could have finished Vergil back there at his home, but his brother had to pull a cheap move. He knew his brother couldn't fight him; his power had strengthened since their last fight, however, Vergil was still weak. He had let something, evil and relentless, take over his heart. Dante then realized that wasn't the case. Vergil had selfish intentions to rule over the human world at the start. His manipulation was strong, especially over Kat and the fellow workers at the hideout. He wanted power and he wanted to be the ruler of all races. It sickened Dante.

Dante didn't care about taking over mankind. He wanted to stop demons from haunting humans and live in a peaceful world. But because he destroyed the portal, Limbo and the world had combined into a mass hunting ground. Because of that, he had to work day and night to fight off the demons. He had to be responsible for his actions, and even more, he was responsible for Gemma. She was a demon that he chose not to kill. Her desire to become human was admirable. She disguised herself for whatever reason, Dante didn't know, to survive in this world as a human. It was the world he created. He thought about what she said again.

She wanted to live in the human world because of her daughter, Braith. The two were demons in disguise and they wanted to live a normal life as humans. Even if they were homeless for the rest of their lives. But that was naïve. The worlds collided and it was already a world of its own. Whether Gemma wanted human skin or humanity looked no different. She was stuck in a world that forced the impossible to live side-by-side. Dante couldn't figure her out; he needed to find her, but that seemed impossible at this rate.

He recollected Vergil's words before they fought. Vergil knew Gemma, but it seemed Gemma didn't know Vergil. He believed Gemma might have gotten Vergil and himself confused considering they were identical twins. He hoped Gemma wasn't mad at him. He looked around the room to see if there were any cameras, any evidence that this place was still under operation. It was apparent that none of the electricity worked. He was relieved. He walked towards the exit and could see the long tunnel ahead of him. He stopped and stared; it brought back memories.

He stood in this room with Mundus and angered him to the point of being shot through the corridor and outside. He recalled the demon king doing his best to rip into Dante's chest to pull out his heart, but Vergil saved him. His brother, who he grew to believe he wanted a better world, betrayed him. His body heated with rage. His brother took advantage of Dante and used him to gain power. He loathed his brother for his actions. He thought he knew him better.

Dante then thought of Gemma again. His mind seemed to wonder about her often now ever since she left. She may have left, but she obviously didn't in his head. She came into his life at one of her lowest, and she wanted him to help her. It was like having a pact with his brother again. He didn't want to repeat it, but he did. He allowed her and her daughter to stay under his roof. He took Gemma out on a date, technically twice, before she departed. He did little, but enough for her. He denied it; he denied that he wanted to help her more, even after asking Kat if she had any information on demons and contracts. He had to though. He had to help her to finalize her dream. Otherwise, she would like any demon he already slain. But she had three things different from the average demon: emotions, the looks, and a soul. He had to get out of this building.

He ran down the hall in a sprint. It was more stretched than he thought. He groaned and jumped off the ledge that once was a room itself. It was the room him and Vergil activated the locks to the main room, to get to Mundus. The short history between them left a mark on him. He wished he could take it back. But if he did, he wouldn't have met Kat or had the determination to protect the humans. Why he chose to, he didn't know. Was it for Kat? Was it so his brother didn't destroy everything he grew up to learn about the world? It was unclear to him.

The white-haired man landed on a floating platform and looked out. From this height, the entire city was in his sights. Most of the skyscrapers were still destroyed on their highest level, but all the strips and smaller buildings were adequate for business. It was impressive on how far Limbo City had come, but there was still work to do. Demons haunted the streets and humans were still living in fear from them. Dante's job was never finished. His new mission objectives were to find his brother and stop whatever plans he had, save these people again, and find Gemma.

But first, he had to find out what Vergil was up to. Dante took out the flip phone Kat gave him and looked at the bar signal. It was low, but strong enough that he still had a connection. He went to the contacts menu and picked the only number available: Kat. He clicked the send button and held his phone up to his ear. It rang. It rang. Static picked up, but the call was answered.

"Dante." Kat greeted, "Did you get the job done?"

"Yeah, and the problem is Vergil." He answered. Kat didn't say anything. She was shocked. Dante knew she was going to react that way.

"Are you sure?" She finally replied, "We can't let him get away! What was he doing with all those demons?!"

"Exactly what he wants to do: rule the humans. I don't know how he managed to get demons to follow his command, but he found a way." Dante cleared his throat, "Are you at HQ? Vergil sent me to the stupid banks tower. I'll be over there as fast as I can."

"Have you seen that demon, Gemma, yet?" Kat asked. Her voice was soft and hesitant. She didn't know if she had the right to ask, but she had to. Dante came to her, asking how to help a demon become human. It still boggled her mind.

"No… did you find any details about those contracts by the way?"

"Actually, I did." Kat said quickly. She found information after she got the reading about the demons in front of Dante's home, but she didn't want him distracted during the fight. Dante listened intently, "I think it'd be easier if you made your way over here. I can explain to you better. Where ever you are, you're cutting in and out a lot."

"Ya know what they say, the mile high club is a thing around here." He hung up before Kat huffed, annoyed, by the bad joke. He looked onward to the city. He located the headquarters just by the large mural on the wall and saw a path that he could make through. The quicker he got there, the sooner he could find out about Gemma. He probably could figure out a plan of action for his brother too. Finding out what Vergil was up to was a priority. He couldn't dismiss it even if he wanted to. He didn't want to care, but he had to. His to do list was getting longer, and it seemed like he couldn't cross anything off. Saving Gemma had to wait.


End file.
